J
Jeff
Guest
Hello folks! I haven't posted in a while, as I have somewhat fallen out of the MTB scene over the last 6 months. The reason? Jiu jitsu and MMA! I've been a fan for quite a while, and my bike's hub explosion at the beginning of last winter gave me the perfect window of opportunity to get into it. Having done a fair amount of martial arts when I was younger, I knew a lot of the basics already. Once I got in there and started again, it turned into a rekindled addiction that I can't go a few days without enjoying. With that said, I was lurking around the site today and became curious if any others trained. If so, where?
For those who do not train, or don't know much about the sport (which may even be all of you), I'll tell you a bit about it. Jiu Jitsu itself is a style of ground fighting (grappling) originally developed as a means for a smaller/weaker opponent to defend against a larger/stronger opponent. The difference between jiu jitsu and the broader term 'grappling', being that jiu jitsu practitioners wear a gi and can use it to their advantage in competition, while grapplers can wear whatever they choose but can not use clothing for chokes/grips.
For those of you that wrestled, grappling ("no gi" jiu jitsu, as it is called) is a common next step. A grappling match is quite similar to a wrestling match, with the exception that instead of trying to pin your opponent, you are trying to get them to tap out to a submission (a choke or joint manipulation). You can also win by points (awarded for takedowns, submission attempts, and dominant positions).
Here is a little highlight video of one of the current jiu jitsu greats - jacare!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdbNiNk7c1Y
Here is a highlight of a fighter named Nick Diaz, who has integrated jiu jitsu into his MMA better than almost anyone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cyU8Oa5rJk
Not so much grappling/Jiu Jitsu, but MMA has gained a bad reputation as of late by ignorant people who don't know what it is. They'd like to have you think that it is no more than human cockfighting, but in reality it is a very family-oriented sport that births discipline, strengthens family and friendship bonds, and preaches healthy and clean living.
Fitness-wise, nothing that I've ever been involved with has gotten me in the shape that grappling has. Before I started training, I was putting on 30+ road miles a day on my DH bike (SC Bullit), on top of weight training at the gym. None of that could compare to the workouts obtained simply from active grappling. My cardio is now better than it's ever been, I am leaner and weigh less, yet feel much stronger. Not a negative thing to say about it, besides the pains associated with finding out the sore way about muscles you never knew you had. Grappling is also a huge draw for the 35+ crowd, as it is an excellent workout, but low impact if you are doing it right (and smart).
Anyhow, I realize that I'm rambling now, as is easy to do with something that you're passionate about. As I was saying... Anybody else train?
p.s. don't worry, I still love biking and will be hopping back in when I get my bike back from cycle works on friday!
For those who do not train, or don't know much about the sport (which may even be all of you), I'll tell you a bit about it. Jiu Jitsu itself is a style of ground fighting (grappling) originally developed as a means for a smaller/weaker opponent to defend against a larger/stronger opponent. The difference between jiu jitsu and the broader term 'grappling', being that jiu jitsu practitioners wear a gi and can use it to their advantage in competition, while grapplers can wear whatever they choose but can not use clothing for chokes/grips.
For those of you that wrestled, grappling ("no gi" jiu jitsu, as it is called) is a common next step. A grappling match is quite similar to a wrestling match, with the exception that instead of trying to pin your opponent, you are trying to get them to tap out to a submission (a choke or joint manipulation). You can also win by points (awarded for takedowns, submission attempts, and dominant positions).
Here is a little highlight video of one of the current jiu jitsu greats - jacare!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdbNiNk7c1Y
Here is a highlight of a fighter named Nick Diaz, who has integrated jiu jitsu into his MMA better than almost anyone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cyU8Oa5rJk
Not so much grappling/Jiu Jitsu, but MMA has gained a bad reputation as of late by ignorant people who don't know what it is. They'd like to have you think that it is no more than human cockfighting, but in reality it is a very family-oriented sport that births discipline, strengthens family and friendship bonds, and preaches healthy and clean living.
Fitness-wise, nothing that I've ever been involved with has gotten me in the shape that grappling has. Before I started training, I was putting on 30+ road miles a day on my DH bike (SC Bullit), on top of weight training at the gym. None of that could compare to the workouts obtained simply from active grappling. My cardio is now better than it's ever been, I am leaner and weigh less, yet feel much stronger. Not a negative thing to say about it, besides the pains associated with finding out the sore way about muscles you never knew you had. Grappling is also a huge draw for the 35+ crowd, as it is an excellent workout, but low impact if you are doing it right (and smart).
Anyhow, I realize that I'm rambling now, as is easy to do with something that you're passionate about. As I was saying... Anybody else train?
p.s. don't worry, I still love biking and will be hopping back in when I get my bike back from cycle works on friday!
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