How to Be a Good Uke (Training Partner)
When people first take up Jiu-jitsu, they find the idea of willingly letting someone “beat you up” a little odd. They don’t know whether the idea in being an uke is to be a difficult, resisting attacker to make the applications “more realistic” or whether they should be trying to make it easier for their partners by going to the ground actively for them. As with most things, the secret to being a good uke is somewhere in between.
When your training partner is just starting out, you shouldn’t offer much in the way of “active” resistance as an uke. Attacks that you make on your partner should be slower and done with less intensity so your partner can focus more on learning the defensive techniques without being put under too much pressure.
As a student gains more experience, you can increase the speed and intensity. When your partner strikes you as their uke, protect yourself in a way that won’t interfere with the person’s training. Turn your chin away for strikes around the head/neck area. Breathe out and tense your abdominal muscles when receiving a strike around the midsection. When receiving a strike to the groin, trust in your groin protector and in your partner who will do the strike in a controlled fashion.
When someone is taking you to the ground, try to stay relaxed and focused on doing a proper breakfall to protect yourself. Don’t go to the ground prematurely (i.e. before your partner has properly taken your balance). But don’t actively fight being taken to the ground. In our style, Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu, we use strikes to weaken, distract and/or off-balance a person. If the person lands their strike in the proper location, the throw or takedown comes much more easily when done with real power. You must pretend a little, knowing that as long as the strike was on target, your partner should have been theoretically been able to set you up for the takedown. The reason for this is that it is simply not safe to practice on your partners with full power when connecting on target. Only use active resistance against throws when it is the purpose of the exercise.
When someone is practicing applying a lock, don’t use your strength to resist the application. If your partner knows proper technique and they fight through your resistance, your strength may give out quite suddenly and then you have all that extra force being put into your joint, which could easily result in an injury. If you’re free grappling with your partner, resistance is expected because that is the point of the exercise, but then in that case neither of you are playing the role of uke, so it’s a different situation entirely.
Have fun and play safe everyone!
How to Hit a Woman
You don’t need a woman who has trained in martial arts for 20 years to tell you that men feel uncomfortable hitting women on the mats. They’ve been taught all their lives that hitting women is wrong, so when they find their way to my mats and are expected to strike a female partner as part of their training, even with the barest amount of contact, they are understandably reluctant. This post covers how to deal with that.
Start Off Slow
If the woman is new to martial arts training, go easy to start with until they are mentally adjusted to receiving contact. This should be done with all beginners, regardless of gender. And if you’re a beginner yourself, the level of speed and contact you use should be very light anyway until you develop a good sense of control. Then as the person progresses (and as you progress) you can increase the level of contact gradually so that the person can start to understand the effects of strikes to different areas and so they can better assist their partners with their targeting.
Don’t Coddle Her
As a woman starts getting more comfortable with contact while training, you should increase the level of contact gradually until you eventually get to a level that is comparable to what others take for the same level. This advice should be applied regardless of gender, but many men never bring up the level of contact with women because they feel uncomfortable hitting a woman with any force at all. While it may be true that you might not be able to hit a smaller woman as hard as a much bigger man, she should still get the benefits of higher intensity training that is scaled appropriately for her size as it becomes appropriate for her level. If she never gets this, she’ll be coddled and won’t become stronger at taking hits. In the worst cases, I’ve seen women with black belts that can’t even handle the barest levels of contact and as result don’t receive the same level of respect as the men of the same rank.
Advice for Women
As a woman who wants to be treated equally, be free with your encouragement to the guys. If you’re comfortable with contact, let your male training partners know that they can hit you and help them find the level of contact that you’re comfortable taking. It’s a lot easier for them to feel comfortable hitting you if you encourage them to do so. Also, if your dojo uses contact strikes to the groin, you should wear a groin protector. It hurts us too, it’s just a different kind of pain, but also men will feel a lot more comfortable hitting you down there if they know there is another layer.
The Practicalities of Conflict Avoidance
In modern society, people who stand up for themselves and for the rights of others are often seen as heroes, as champions of justice. There are, however, a potential costs to this form of heroism.
One of my students recently told me how a friend of his complained to a group of people loudly talking and swearing at the back of a bus. He pointed out that their swearing was disruptive and that there were children on the bus. Several stops later, the man and his girlfriend got off and the group followed them and attacked. The women held the girl back while the men beat him down until he lay bloodied and unconscious.
Last week, an LA moviegoer who was watching a screening of ‘Shutter Island’ spoke up against someone who was talking on his cell phone in the theatre during the movie. A dispute ensued and the man who had spoken up had a meat thermometer plunged into his neck for his efforts. Read the complete story.
Does this mean that we should all just let things go for the sake of avoiding conflict? More often than not, the answer is yes. While the meat thermometer attack is a response you’re unlikely to encounter, in a public place to boot, there are a lot of other potential risks to consider. When you’re dealing with a complete stranger, you don’t know whether or not they have friends willing to jump in, whether they’re carrying a weapon, whether they’re drunk or high, or what they’re capable of in a state of anger. And what do you risk if the conflict ends in a fight? Disfigurement, serious injuries, physical disabilities, brain damage, paralysis. You risk losing the ability to do the things you love and take care of the people you love. It’s not worth it to get directly involved over the little things.
If you find yourself tempted to engage someone in a conflict, stop and calmly think it through. You’ll find that it’s probably not worth it. This isn’t cowardice; it’s simply having the confidence and mental fortitude to know what your priorities are.
5 Rules of Street-Oriented Ground Defense
I was recently asked what my general rules that I apply to all ground defense (for street application as opposed to sport). It’s pretty straight forward. I’ve laid them out in this post.
Rule #1: Protect your head and neck. If an attacker is trying to immobilize their victim and eliminate their defensive capabilities, the most dangerous targets are the head and neck. While defending from the ground, the forearms should be kept up close to the head (when possible) to protect it and the chin should be tucked with the shoulders raised to prevent strangulation.
Rule #2: Keep your elbows and knees tucked close. On the ground, an attacker will try to immobilize your limbs to keep you from fighting back. When your arms are straight and spread out away from your body, they are easier to control. If your attacker knows joint lock submissions, they will more easily be able to apply them too. Keeping your elbows tucked close to your body prevents this and also allows you to use them to protect your head and neck. Keeping your knees bent allows you to kick out and hides your kicking reach.
Rule #3: Create and use space. When defending from the ground, the more space you have the better. This is particularly important when your attacker has the size/strength advantage. Space opens up more defensive options. Use whatever attacks to vulnerable targets you can, in combination with whatever body shifting you can manage to create more space. Then use the extra space to apply more powerful defenses. Another good use of space is to try and ward off an attacker with kicks and takedowns from the ground before they get on top of you.
Rule #4: Watch out for other hazards. The ground can present a number of hazards that you need to watch out for as you defend yourself. The attacker may produce and use a concealed weapon. If you see them reach back for something, assume it is a weapon and take the necessary measures to defend yourself. You also have to watch out for environmental hazards like glass or other debris/obstacles on the ground that could cause you harm.
Rule 5: Get off the ground! The ground is a dangerous place to be (See my article on the dangers of ground defense). You greatly increase your ability to protect yourself and escape by getting off the ground as soon as you have the opportunity to safely do so. As such, all defenses should end with the student getting back to their feet.
For more information about practical, street-oriented ground defense, check out Lori O’Connell Sensei’s book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground.
Can-Ryu Ground Defense Concepts Applied
In the past few weeks, I discussed the updated ground defense system that I developed for my style, Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu. In my post “Fundamentals of Can-Ryu Ground Defense,” I explained how we use a combination of attacks to vital targets and body shifting manoeuvres. The body shifting was demonstrated in more detail, complete with video in my post, “Body Shifting from the Underside of a Ground Attack.” Since then I’ve had a number of readers request that I demonstrate applications in more detail through video.
In the video below, I demonstrate a few different applications of Can-ryu ground defense concepts. These applications are really only the barest surface scratch of the myriad ways our ground defense concepts can be applied. I perform them at an instructive speed with a compliant partner so you can better see what I’m doing, but in practice it can be applied more dynamically and at greater speeds with no prior knowledge of how the attacks will shift and change. For more video footage and advice on ground defense, check out my new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground. Enjoy!
What to Do When Your Bell Gets Rung
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing some sparring with Chris, my second-in-command at my dojo, during open training. It was my first time sparring since my elbow injury just over 6 weeks ago. Needless to say, I was a little rusty, but still keen to give it a go.
As Chris and I sparred and increased the intensity, we each managed to take a couple of solid hits. The solid hit I took to the head in the form of a left hook that really hit home and rang my bell. I actually saw stars briefly. My response, as I’ve trained myself to do, was to let loose my own strikes, and to keep at it until I had regained my composure.
The reason for responding this way is to keep from being overwhelmed. This logic is applicable whether in a self-defense situation or in the competitive arena. If you give in to the hit and go on the defensive, there is a solid chance that your attacker or opponent will press the attack and get the better of you, both physically and mentally. Instead, you’re much better off throwing your own attacks back, even if they don’t end up being effective. It will hopefully be enough though to throw off your attacker’s initiative so that you can regain your composure.
This attitude follows the same logic discussed in my blog post about the power of intention. Have you personally had any similar experiences continuing to fight after taking a solid hit, whether in a belt test, a self-defense situation, or a competition? I invite you to share these in the comments section.
Body Shifting from the Underside of a Ground Attack
There are 3 types of body shifting I emphasize as part of the overall strategies I teach for defending from the underside of a ground attack. These, in combination with attacks to your attacker’s vital targets, are designed to be used by anyone regardless of size. They are adaptable and can be used interchangeably depending on the way the nature of the attack changes throughout its course. These body shifting methods include: bridging & rolling, shrimping and turtling.
When first introducing these movements to students, I like to have them do it dry, without an attacker (as in the video below), so they can learn the movements. They can also be incorporated into the warm-up for any ground defense or ground grappling class. They get the blood pumping, they strengthen core muscle groups, and it helps them improve their technique. These and other useful ground strength/technique drills can also be found in my new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-jitsu Strategies & Tactics for Self-Defense.
In my next posts, I’ll show how these are applied.
Fundamentals of Can-Ryu Ground Defense
I am happy to report that the ground defense principles I proposed over the weekend were well-received. They were considered to embody the 4 tenets of Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu and are therefore being incorporated into what we teach for ground defense.
As discussed in my last post, I discussed the idea of moving away from set defenses against specific ground attacks to apply a system of defense that is more flexible to different body types and the adaptive nature of ground attacks. And of course, the goal, as always in ground defense, is to get to your feet and get away. The system of defense is based in the idea of combining two strategies. They are as follows.
1. Body Shifting. When defending on the ground, you shift and move your body in ways that will give you an improved tactical position from which to fight back. If you’re defending against a standing attacker who is trying to kick your head or get on top of you, you shift your body in ways that will keep your feet towards your attacker so you can kick them as they come in. If you’re under someone on the ground, you use bridging & rolling, shrimping, etc. to off balance the attacker and/or create opportunities to strike.
2. Vital Targets. Body shifting alone is not enough, especially when you’re dealing with a much larger attacker. Striking, grabbing, squeezing, or applying pressure to vital targets can help you create space, off balance/distract an attacker, thereby giving you opportunities to use body shifting to create more space and escape.
These strategies can be used interchangeably as ground attack changes in nature. In some situations, body shifting may be enough on its own to create an avenue of escape. In others, you might have to attack a vital target first in order to employ body shifting effectively. Or in yet another situation, you might only be able to use body shifting enough to improve your position but not get away. In this case, you might have to attack a vital target to create enough space to use additional body shifting to get away.
The idea is that it’s a flexible system that is highly adaptable. While it may be necessary at first to introduce the concepts with set attacks and defenses, the goal is to quickly move forward into adaptive attacks and adaptive defenses. These concepts are explained in a lot more detail in my new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-jitsu Strategies & Tactics for Self-Defense.
Moving Away from Set Defenses from Specific Ground Attacks
As many of you know, I am presenting my ideas at a black belt class this Sunday for an updated approach to Can-ryu ground defense for use in street situations (not sport-oriented). My suggested approach is to encompass the 4 tenets of Can-ryu.
Over the past few months, I’ve devoted considerable time and energy to challenging traditional ways ground defense has been handled, in addition to challenging my own ideas and concepts. One of the main differences between the old approach and the new approach I’ve been working on involves a shift in the paradigm.
The old approach, like many other more traditional styles of Jiu-jitsu (as opposed to BJJ) involved learning a set of defense against a specific attack on the ground with a compliant uke. There are two main problems with this approach.
1. Different body types. A defender’s body type, as well as the body type of the attacker being dealt with, heavily influences the effectiveness of different types of defenses. What works easily for one body type or against one body type may be completely useless for a different set of body types.
2. The quick-changing nature of ground attacks. Your proximity to your attacker is very close in a ground defense situation. Also, in many cases, more of your body is confined. This means that the attacker can feel your resistance and respond to it quicker than he or she might other types of attacks.
The new paradigm I am working with involves teaching a set of concepts and skills that can be combined and used in a wide variety of ground attack scenarios. The students then learn how best to apply them using their own unique body types. Because the new paradigm is more focused on learning to apply a set of concepts and skills more broadly, it also leaves more room for adaptation to variable attacks based on the way the attacker reacts to the initial defense.
As far as teaching goes, you can start from specific positions and compliant ukes so that students can learn the foundations, but ultimately, you want them to quickly move beyond these types of static attacks so they can have a more adaptable approach that is specific to the student’s own body type. This approach is covered in much greater detail in my book When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-jitsu Strategies & Tactics for Self-Defense.
How to Train in a Martial Art When You Already Have Experience in Another Style
Over the years I’ve dealt with many students who wanted to train at my dojo but already had experience in another style, with mixed results. It can be challenging to switch styles and reprogram your body to a different curriculum. And the more experience you have, the more challenging it can be. As a result, most of them either don’t sign up or don’t last long. That being said, the ones that do usually have a great attitude and bring an excellent training ethic to the mats.
If you are martial artist in this situation, here is a list of guidelines for training in a new style that will help you get the most out of your training without being disrespectful or interrupting the dojo’s class structure.
1. Keep an open mind. Try your best to perform the technique as demonstrated. The new style may have similar techniques or even the same technique with slight differences. While it may be easier to just resort to the method you’ve always used, you’re there to learn the new style, not showcase your old one. Look for the advantages that this new method may present. You may be surprised if you give it an honest chance.
2. Be respectful when questioning differences. Because of your prior experience, you may wonder why things are done differently. While it’s ok to ask technical questions specific to a technique in class to make sure you get it right, but it can be disruptive to question the differences openly during class with regards to your prior training. Even if done politely, it can take more time to explain answers to these questions, which can hold up the class’s training time. As for integrating your new learning with your old, this is something that you do yourself outside of class. If you don’t think a particular techniques fits into your martial arts schema, note that in your head, but don’t bring any special attention to the fact in class.
3. Don’t act like an instructor. If you are an instructor in your old style, you may find it difficult to just be a student on someone else’s mats. But that is what is expected of you, unless you have worked out an arrangement with your new Sensei. Don’t try to help other students as you train with them. You may think you know what you’re doing, but you probably don’t know all the nuances of the new style and there is a good chance that by “helping” you’re disrupting the learning process by imparting information in a way that conflicts with the Sensei’s teachings.
4. Be cautious and considerate when integrating your prior training. Some open-minded Senseis might be willing to let you practice your prior training, generally not during class, but perhaps during open mat time. If you’re going to do so, it’s better to restrict this to solo training or working with advanced students or instructors. Lower level students may be confused by the introduction of different concepts, or they may not be equipped to handle a particular techniques safely.
Some students with prior experience go so far as to keep their prior training under wraps, which I can respect. It doesn’t really work with me because I can usually tell, but I like that they have the attitude of wanting to be treated like any other student. As the old zen saying goes, “If you want to fill your cup, first you must empty it.”
Anyone out there in the blogosphere have any interesting stories of dealing with students with prior training, good or bad?
We're proud to announce that Lori O'Connell Sensei's new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-jitsu Strategies & Tactics for Self-Defense, published through international martial arts publisher Tuttle Publishing, is now available in major book stores and online. More about it & where to buy it.