10th Planet Watch – 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Van Nuys Blog

You ever roll with the guy who says let’s go light, and then proceeds to grab you and drive you over 3 sets of other people rolling? They then smash you into the wall, grab a heel hook and crank it wildly as hard as they can. Before you can tap, you’re knee pops 5 times. “Thanks knee for tapping for me, I was just about to do that, but this gorilla didn’t give me a chance.” I used to have of trouble with guys like this. Ultimately, it’s the instructors/owners burden to keep everybody safe. Reckless training would lead to unhappy or to injured students. That would lead to bad attendance due to injury. Which would lead to less training partners coming to the gym, which would lead to uninspiring classes. That would lead to guys not progressing as quickly in their training. Not to mention it would lead to less money coming in. No money, we can’t pay for lights, water or a space to even train in.

After years of not knowing what to do, I decided to change it up. Now, everyday before rolling, I do a quick injury check. I ask who has any injuries, which helps people remember that some people can’t go super hard, and lets the class know the instructors are paying attention, and we’re care about safety. After that, I give a speech to the class about our number 1 priority, taking care of your training partners! This is your number one job as a member of the team. If you let them get hurt, you got nobody to help you out. If you injure people, it will spread quickly and soon people will avoid training with you.

The Next thing I do puts how hard you should go in perspective. I preface how hard the roll should be by breaking it down like this:

If you are going to go…

-100%, it’s only if you’re fighting for your life against Nazi war criminals, evangelical leftist rapists or an equally threatening foe.
-80% is for fighting for the UFC championship belt.
-70% competing at a friendly Jiu Jitsu tournament.
-60% solid training for a competition or fight. This is reserved for people who understand the risks of training hard and accept the risks, I keep this separate usually.
-50% good old competitive everyday training. This is for 90% of the people. Under most circumstances, training at this rate, you should be able to get up and go to work the next day, and train again tomorrow. It’s competitive, it’s challenging, yet it’s good natured, and enjoyable.

It works extremely well at our gym. Injuries happen much less frequently at 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu now days. It’s not the good old days of MMA/BJJ, we’re much smarter now. Therefore we have to be more responsible with our health.

So, I initially found MMA Surge when I saw a ton of people sharing their Lockdown video. I thought, no big deal, Eddie just used the Lockdown against Royler Gracie, it’s a hot topic. On further inspection, I saw some negative comments relating to the video, ok now it peaked my interest. Since I only respond to negative feedback, I clicked on the link.

I had to say, at first glance it looked like a pretty polished product. The video was well put together. They had a nice camera, and it was well lit. They had multiple camera angles. The audio is good, there’s no background noise, and they had production sound, it doesn’t sound like the shitty built in camera mics that most videos are shot on. The editing was good, they cut between the different cameras. They even had some special effect cuts. They had animations and some cool logos and stuff. Andrew “The Squid” Montinez is a good looking kid with charm and charisma. He’s well spoken and conducts himself professionally.

Now I’ll start with the critiques. Somewhere there’s a group of break dancers angry with Andrew “The Squid” Montinez. The production team obviously stole their cardboard and used as a gym mat alternative. The location was interesting. Instead of using a traditional played out gym environment they opted to use the crack house location from “Jungle Fever.” I was halfway expecting Gator and a strung out Halle Berry to walk in the frame at any moment.

The title of the video is “Spider Web Position UFC MMA Jiu-jitsu.” I think somebody heard that if you use keywords in the title, the Google spiderbots will find your videos and rank them higher so you can get rich from advertising. SEO can be done tastefully without looking like spam. I kept thinking the vid would cut over to a penis enlargement pill or a webcam girl ad at any moment.

As for the actually content of the video, well I’m speechless. If you know the 10th Planet system, you’ll be very familiar with the Spider Web. It’s a well defined position with a particular group of moves attached to it. This video is NOT the Spider Web position. It has similarities to it, but the entire reason the spider web is the position it is, is because of the control it uses on the lower body. “The Squid” failed to show the detail that separates the Spider Web from a regular arm bar. 2 seconds of research on the internet would have shown that. I won’t comment on the validity of his techniques, as I haven’t drilled them or tried them, but judging on his lack of research, I’ll just take a wild guess and say they’re not well thought out either.

It seems like a lot of effort production wise, just to show a bunch of techniques that are not what you claim they are?

At Metamoris 3, the whole world watched as Eddie Bravo dominated Royler Gracie using proprietary 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu techniques, specifically the Lockdown. In the match, Eddie was able to control, sweep, and pass Royler’s guard, something he wasn’t able to do the first time they competed. He almost submitted Gracie for the second time, but Royler was tough, and refused to tap even though his knee nearly exploded from “The Vaporizer.” At the end of the day, the match will go down in Jiu Jitsu history as one of the biggest, most anticipated, and most exciting grappling matches of all time.

With all the interest in 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, specifically the Lockdown, I wanted to do something as a show of good faith for the BJJ community.  I’ve been practicing the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu System for nearly 10 years, and I’m in a unique position to be able to share my knowledge.

That said, 10th Planet Van Nuys is proud to offer a FREE, one time, very special event. We are going to Unlock the Secrets of the Lockdown!!!. This won’t be broadcasted, and it won’t be taped, the only way to be a part of it, is to be there live in person, so don’t miss out!

In this seminar, I’ll be breaking down the little known details that you have never seen before. You may think you’re familiar with the Lockdown, there’s information out there about it. The difference is, I’ve dedicated my entire life mastering the system, and I’ve had the privilege to have learned it directly from the source. Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations and johnny come latelys. I’ve logged tens of thousands of hours studying, training, and teaching these techniques over the years. I know how this game works inside and out.

The Lockdown isn’t just a bunch of random moves, It utilizes a unique philosophy. It’s creative, and out of the box. Just when you thought you understood it, you realize how intricate it can be.  You’ll learn the system of entries, controls, defenses, sweeps, counters, recoveries, transitions, and submissions,

This event is limited to less than 40 spaces. We require you R.S.V.P. If you do not secure your space, we will not be able to accommodate you. We want to have room and for the event to be comfortable. We are already 2/3 of the way full, so don’t wait! Book your spot today. It’s first come, first serve.

There’s no tricks, we won’t harass you with emails, pressure you to buy anything, or sign up at our gym. Honestly, what are you waiting for? Call us today at (818) 781-5487.

• Location: 10th Planet Van Nuys
• Date: Saturday April 19th
• Time: 12pm-3pm Followed by an open mat.
• Cost: FREE!!!
• R.S.V.P. Required,
• Capacity will be reached well ahead of the date, Call now to reserve your spot. If you cannot make it. ***Please Cancel 24 hours in advanced to allow for others to take you spot if your cannot attend.

*PLEASE NO RECORDING DEVICES ALLOWED

10th Planet Van Nuys, Milton Arguello’s post fight interview with Dawna at the U of MMA. Fresh of his triangle submission win, he looked amazing. Look for much more of this kid in the future!

Awesome match from 2 extremely high level Grapplers.

Speaking of Javier Vasquez, we’re having a seminar with him at 10th Planet Van Nuys August 31st, 2013 at 12pm. For more information click here, or call us at 818 781-JITS(5487)

Want to learn the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system? <a href=”http://www.10thplanetvannuys.com” title=”10th Planet Jiu Jitsu in Van Nuys, California” target=”_blank”>www.10thplanetvannuys.com</a>

Want to learn Jiu Jitsu? www.10thplanetvannuys.com

Eddie Bravo will be gracing the mats of 10th Planet Van Nuys next Monday, June 10th. He is one of the most prolific figures in all of MMA and Jiu Jitsu. He’s not afraid to speak his mind when it comes just about anything. 10th Planet is constantly evolving, and Grandmaster Bravo will be teaching the latest advancements in the system. He is always researching, developing, refining and updating techniques. You don’t want to miss out on any of the new stuff! 

Due to limited amounts of space, this event is only for current 10th Planet Van Nuys team members. However, if you’d like to join our team in time for this event, there’s still time to sign up, and get in on the action. 

We’re having super summer specials right now, so call us!!! (818) 781-JITS (5487). You’ve probably been thinking about signing up for a while now anyways, and these prices won’t last forever. Call and book a free class to see what we’re all about. Best way to see if 10th Planet is for you is to take a test drive. There’s no strings attached, what have you got to lose? I can guarantee you’ll love our program, and our prices, for what you’re getting are out of site. 

Did I mention, we have morning, night, and weekend classes? We  have classes for beginners, seasoned vets, and competitors too. Think you’re too old or too young? Think Jiu Jitsu isn’t for girls? Nonsense, we have classes for everybody!!!

After you come try us out, and you still find you’re not convinced, you can walk away no hard feelings, and no pressure sales. We only want people to join our team who absolutely want to be there. That’s why we have such an amazing vibe at our school. Our instructors and our members all are incredibly passionate about Jiu Jitsu, and it shows!  Stop making up excuses and jump in today! You’re future black belt awaits you.  

Best,

Coach Alder

P.S. interested in checking out our website? Go to www.10thPlanetVanNuys.com (sign up for our newsletter!)

 

We just got ourselves a new Dollamur Swain landing pad! These things are wonderful for practicing high impact slams, throws or flying attacks on. No more knocking the wind out of ourselves when trying out that flying triangle or armbar! Students can be tentative trying out these moves sometimes because of the the fear of landing hard, and possibly injuring themselves. Not anymore! These things feel like your landing on a nice cushy cloud. Not only are they good big huge double leg slams, but we can now practice our pro-wrestling moves on each other as well. Look for more fun things to come from this essential piece of training equipment!

10th Planet Van Nuys’s New Dollamur Swain Landing Pad

There are only a few spaces left, call now and reserve you slot!

Denny Prokopos Seminar
June 1st, 2013 @12pm
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Van Nuys
16760 Stagg St. Suite 218
Van Nuys, CA 91406
www.10thPlanetVanNuys.com
(818) 781-5487

Denny Prokopos Seminar

June 1st, 2013 @12pm

10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Van Nuys

16760 Stagg St. Suite 218

Van Nuys, CA 91406

www.10thPlanetVanNuys.com

(818) 781-5487

Denny’s Bio

Denny Prokopos was born in San Francisco around 1988. He was interested in Pro Wrestling as a child, and it was looking for Pro Wrestling tapes at a video store that he found out about the UFC. He bought a few tapes of the fighting organization’s first tournaments at the store and as he saw the footage he was amazed by Royce Gracie’s prowess inside the cage. He was so fascinated by the Gracie Jiu Jitsu style that he managed to convince his parents to let him train Jiu Jitsu (who vehemently opposed to it in the beginning). He was 12 years old when he started and his first coach was Charles Gracie.

As Denny got more involved with Jiu Jitsu, he started preferring the Nogi aspect of the game; this was when he sought out Eddie Bravo for private classes in Nogi. Eddie at the time had already made a name for himself in the Nogi community and was a great believer of the benefits of training without the kimono. Denny ended up leaving his previous instructor and turning his full attention to Eddie Bravo’s way of thought and method, he was around 16 at the time.

In highschool Denny Prokopos also added wrestling to his resume, competing all throughout secondary School with the exception of the last year due to a bad injury that prevented him from training. He ended up quitting the academic life to focus solely on Jiu Jitsu training and competition, that hard work and dedication paid off with several important victories at a national and international stage, culminating with his black belt award in 2009. In that same year he was part of the American National Team at the FILA Grappling Championship, being coached by Ricardo Liborio in preparation for the tournament (a competition he won), he has also worked extensively with Jake Shields.

-BJJ Heros

Want to learn Jiu Jitsu? Contact us today! www.10thplanetvannuys.com

Eddie Mendez will be making his UFC debut down in Brazil June 8th. He will be training his Jiu Jitsu with us at 10th Planet Van Nuys. Mendez is known for his boxing, wrestling and putting exciting fights. He will be taking on Black Belt, Daniel Sarafian from The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. Sarafian is coming off a fight of the night loss vs C.B. Dolloway. This one should be candidate for fight of the night!

10th Planet Van Nuys was fortunate enough to be hired by Warner Brothers to help out with EA’s new UFC video game. They were responsible for recording all kinds of sounds that will be used in the game. Coach Alder Hampel was a consultant on the project and helped direct his students, Georgie Garcia, Mile “Lobes” Frausto, Mike “Tipz” Venturella, Ryan Bradford, Yumi Matsumoto, David Alvarez, Sven Manseau, Gabe Calvento and pro mma fighter, Keenan Lewis. The guys did an amazing job and the EA rep Ted Conely was stoked with their work. Make sure everybody goes and and buys this game when it comes out! You can imagine us when you hear the in game sound fx!

Congratulations to 10th Planet Yuma’s purple belt, Kelvin Gastelum on winning “The Ultimate Fighter” season 17! In an amazing fight, he edged out the favorite, Uriah Hall, by a split decision. At 21 years of age, many thought Kelvin had no chance against what many people called the scariest contestant TUF has ever had. Before tonight the people were relatively unfamiliar with Kelvin, I’m happy he was able to shock the world with his heart, and his wrestling. Awesome victory!

Click here for Kelvin Gastelum receiving his purple belt!

Mike “Lobes” Frausto fights for the California Fight Syndicate this Saturday, April 6th. He will be fighting Santa Barbara’s badboy, Bren O’Neil for the CFS 155lb title. Lobes is coming off 2 very impressive first round finishes, one armbar and one tko. This fight is sure to be fireworks!  Ticket prices start at $35, so get yours today!