Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jan 19, 2012, 7:02 am
Yes Guys, just another post about BJJ in Russia. This time, about prices. Of course the BJJ as a sport is not really a commercial activity and you want the teachers to also make a living, teach privates, teach ordinary classes. Moscow is an expensive city if you want to hang out, go to nice restaura...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jan 12, 2012, 1:32 am
Great event and thanks to Budovideos for streaming live. Unfortunately I could not come to Nottingham this time, but look forward to 2013! The guys looked great. Its a shame Roger did not participate due to other committments I guess. I would also love to see some more MMA stars compete. Would be f...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Nov 24, 2011, 1:19 am
The greatest BJJ player ever talks about his return. Makes you understand why he is so great!
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Nov 3, 2011, 8:43 am
Watched the video below. Not impressed with Fedor's grappling skills at all here. Just seems that he has no concept of guard at all. I just think with those grappling skills, Monson will take his back and choke him. You just cant allow a guy like Monson pass the guard. What Fedor just doesnt seem ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Nov 1, 2011, 6:06 am
Wow, whoever got his blue belt in less than 12 months. I haven't really seen any good guys who have managed to reach a decent level in 12 months of training although it really depends on how much time you spend training. I think 3 times a week for a year is not enough mat time though. It just takes...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Oct 25, 2011, 12:59 pm
Fedor vs Monson is an interesting match. Both fighters have skills that they did not manage to perfect over the years which are obvious. Fedor has the stand up to take this fight but Monson is hard to knock out and his BJJ could be dangerous for Fedor. Nevertheless, I think Fedor should be able to ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Oct 15, 2011, 10:46 am
1. Rousimar Palhares - known as Toquinho is not only a quality UFC fighter but also a nasty grappler when it comes to ADCC rules events. His heel hooks are just plain scary and his aggressive grappling style is something of a warning to his opponents. Even though he did not win anything, he sure sh...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Oct 15, 2011, 4:54 am
The Pedro Duarte Nogueira Seminar in Moscow is now over. The 7-day event was truly a great experience and I think the whole of Moscow's bjj community truly enjoyed the experience. Pedro is truly a master in jiu jitsu and I loved his techniques especially in the sweeps and the omoplata moves he showe...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Oct 9, 2011, 2:29 pm
Just a thought that some people wonder about. Does bjj make sense as a business? Well, I have some experience in the business world and probably an say a few words in this regard. Firstly what one has to consider is the investment that needs to be made. If you have a shabby one room academy somewher...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Sep 29, 2011, 5:57 am
Awesome event, certainly one of the coolest grappling events out there, really enjoyed watching it on Budovideos.com and its a real shame I couldnt make it to the event in person. So many great fights, some performance dissapointments but also a lot of great guys displaying great skill. Its amazing...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Sep 8, 2011, 6:19 am
Since Fedor vs Lesnar fight never happened thanks to M1 Global and Vadim Finkelstein, I think the greatest thing that could have happened is the upcoming fight between the newly signed Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar, two of the biggest and exciting fighters out there at the moment. I think so ma...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Aug 25, 2011, 9:54 am
There is so much nonesense written on the internet around this incident, it made me want to add just my humble opinion regarding the situation. The situation here in Moscow regarding many peoples from the Caucasus coming over has caused a lot of unhappiness among the general population. Many o...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Aug 21, 2011, 3:38 pm
One remark that I wanted to make. I have to say that it hurts me to watch some people spend so much time with some martial arts that just don't work at all. One can argue whether some martial art is more effective vs another one. This is fine. Boxing is a great sport and a true martial art. You can ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - May 3, 2011, 2:56 pm
Generally an awesome show. Stayed up late to watch this one and it was definitely worth it. Definitely expected Machida to win this one in devastating fashion and he did. Did NOT expect him to win via front kick of course but his striking is excellent and Randy Couture is known at least more recentl...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Apr 26, 2011, 12:55 pm
I am looking forward to this fight. GSP is doing all the right things to prepare for this fight. He is getting his jiu jitsu ready and is training with Braulio Estima and Roger Gracie, two bjj superstars. Roger has recently visited my club in Moscow, true champion, I thinknhe is going to do great in...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Apr 16, 2011, 2:12 am
Strikeforce has been bought by the UFC already months ago but still we have not really seen how this acquisition is going tom play out for the fighters. I have been surprised to learn about Fedor still fighting for them after two losses on his record and being out of the Grand Prix. Fedor vs Henders...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Apr 2, 2011, 9:48 am
Dear All, on the 23-24 april 2011 Lion Sports Club, top BJJ academy in Russia ( Gracie Barra) will hold a seminar by Roger Gracie, one of the most accomplished BJJ players and grapplers in the world today. This is going to be an enormous event! The cost is 3000 RUR for two days. 15:00 start. I think...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Feb 18, 2011, 9:18 am
Fedor's last fight yet again highlighted the champion's weaknesses on the ground. While many have claimed Fedor has outstanding ground game, it is clear that his skills to reach certain positions and defend against guard passers is weak. I have first noticed this when I saw Ricardo Arona fight him....
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jan 30, 2011, 2:53 pm
Strikeforce puts on a great show quite often but this time I really enjoyed the fights. The BJJ level of the combatants and the Diaz vs Cyborg show was simply exceptional. Roger Gracie in particular was perfect in what he did this weekend. He took Trevor Prangley down, mounted him while preventing h...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jan 21, 2011, 8:02 am
The new Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix that is about to begin on February 12 2011 with the Fedor vs Antonio Big Foot Silva event is one of the most exciting MMA events that is to take place this year. I think all of the fans are looking forward to this one. Apart from perhaps Cain Velasquez vs ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jan 16, 2011, 3:53 pm
The guys on the right hand side of this blog have accomplished a tremendous deal last year as we all know. Please vote who you think was the fighter of the year last year, another great year for brazilian jiu jitsu.
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jan 16, 2011, 3:40 pm
Fedor Emelianenko is certainly an intriguing fighter to follow. Once considered the greatest pound for pound fighter in the world, following to the shocking loss to Fabricio Werdum, he is now looking to return to the octagon and fight some of the best fighters out hhere at heavyweight. Antonio Silva...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Nov 27, 2010, 1:49 pm
Guard players are one of the most dangerous jiu jitsu fighters and grapplers out there. You carry out a takedown but get caught in the guard of these people and once they lock that guard in it can be really tough. Even if you do get a chance to break the closed guard it can be extremely difficult to...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Nov 15, 2010, 3:33 am
Got the iPad recently, great product well done Steve Jobs, but in terms of content for brazilian jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts, the UFC (they don't offer anything!!) and Apple should have done a lot more. Basically there really is little content to actually choose from in my opinion. I downloaded...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Nov 13, 2010, 5:03 pm
What would a perfect academy be if you could choose all the best traits and take away the problems? What do Academy owners do and what are they not doing and should? here is just a few things that I think that should be up there on the list: 1. Good instructors - this has got to be at the top of eve...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Nov 11, 2010, 4:30 am
Training I feel is the only way to become a great BJJ player. Romullo Barral is famous for training an enormous amount and is truly one of the most incredible BJJ players out there. You have to put the mat hours no matter how productive your sessions may be. It was often that I said to myself that ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Oct 30, 2010, 8:26 am
There are many resources and blogs that talk about brazilian jiu jitsu on the internet. Thousands and thousands of articles have been well written on the subject. What surprises me however how little discussion there is about the BJJ Rules. BJJ rules is an important subject for anyone looking to com...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Oct 11, 2010, 7:59 am
Everyone keeps saying that the Strikeforce HW division is becoming a real powerhouse and is the best in the world and specificly better then the UFC but is this really true? Well, lets start with Fedor. Fedor, Fedor and Fedor has not fought much since he got triangle choked out in 69 seconds to Fabr...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Oct 8, 2010, 9:10 am
I love the way Fedor and his management behave. First they react by wanting a rematch straight away. Then they realize that Werdum is not fighting and they challenge Overeem who they did not want to fight before and since Overeem is now busy (and they knew this and that is why they challenged him) t...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Oct 1, 2010, 4:39 am
Attacking with the triangle is dangerous I find as it can often allow the guy on top to pass your guard. There are two ways of getting round this. One is just to put the knee inside and attempt to recover guard. This is not always easy to do of course but has worked for me in the past. Of course you...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Sep 25, 2010, 11:17 pm
I first noticed this move that Roger does from half guard on the bottom watching him fight in the Worlds and then later on Youtube. I can see that against Marcelo Garcia and later against Bruno Bastos he used this exact sweep with great success. I guess it is just a matter of practice and perfecting...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Sep 25, 2010, 11:15 pm
Awesome card. Excellent fighters. Evan Dunham vs Sean Sherk = amazing fight!! Not sure about the decision but well done to both guys. Sean Sherk certainly has a great submission defense but Evan Dunham is a dangerous guy. The Dolloway win was pretty cool I have to mention. Marcelo Garcia style guill...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Sep 25, 2010, 9:56 am
Last month, the club held the first ever grading of BJJ practitioners in Russia by a Russian instructor. Leonid Gatovskiy (Gracie Barra Brown Belt) has for the first time awarded blue belts to four very dedicated students that were not able to go to Poland for the summer BJJ camp held there where th...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Sep 22, 2010, 9:55 am
The one thing you need to do to get better I think is to be unstoppable and I don't mean unstoppable on the mats, no. You need to be unstoppable in you jiu jitsu attendance. Jiu Jitsu is not about who is faster, stronger or any of that. It is really about how regularly you train, how attentive you ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Aug 18, 2010, 9:57 am
It seems the triangle choke will forever go down as one of the most lethal moves in MMA. A move that caught the great Fedor Emelianenko thanks to the crafty skills of the ADCC champion Fabricio Werdum. It is the same move that saved Anderson Silva from losing his title in UFC 117 allowing him to co...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Aug 16, 2010, 6:55 am
Two weeks ago was training some BJJ moves. Sweeps from standing omoplata and knee bar from standing omoplata. Short training session actually, about an hour long due to severe weather conditions, namely smoke, over here in Moscow. Came back after training with pain in my right shoulder which I had s...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jul 22, 2010, 3:28 am
On Tuesday this week, was training drop seonage and managed to get a cut right above my eyebrow. Quite deep cut actually, lots of blood everywhere. Don't even know how I managed to do it, but I collided with the head of my partner. I don't think this is a common thing to happen in Judo! So anyway, g...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jul 21, 2010, 8:18 am
- He does not care if he wins or loses, the only thing he does care is how he performs and absorbs technique - He goes to training because he needs it, he wants to do it, he loves it, its automatic - he does not think about going to training, just does it - He likes the community of the BJJ academy ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jul 13, 2010, 6:17 am
-----A Brazilian Judoka with a good ground game, Flavio Canto tends to say he doesn’t differentiate between judo and Jiu-Jitsu in training. “They’re two sports with different rules,” he says. But they should be trained together as a whole, so the athlete will become well-rounded with finishe...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jul 9, 2010, 9:13 am
"The Holy Trinity" - the three greatest BJJ fighters of the decade - Roger Gracie, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Marcelo Garcia. So outstanding are these guys that they are literally untouchable and head and shoulders above the rest. All three also have very different styles of jiu jitsu. Roger Gracie...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jul 8, 2010, 9:07 am
Brazilian jiu jitsu is my passion. I think what makes BJJ so great however is the rule set, the submission rather then position focus. Having said that, I think one thing that many BJJ fighters ignore is the takedowns that Judo and Wrestling give. The takedowns give your game an edge but also teach ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jun 23, 2010, 3:37 am
BJJ is a life long pursuit for sure. Of course the turnover in the academy is great at the beginner level but over time you develop a relationship with the core team in the academy. What I want to say is that of course you must treat your team mates with the same respect that you also expect from ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jun 22, 2010, 8:33 am
Big news for Strikeforce that has come to my attention. I think I managed to miss this one last week. According to MMA Junkie, on the 17 June, Scott Coker announced that Valentijn Overeem and Sergei Kharitonov, two great Pride heavyweights have signed with Strikeforce. I am thrilled about this of c...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jun 21, 2010, 6:50 am
Training regularly is the only way to achieve results in jiu jitsu and that is why I make every effort to come to training on time unless there is something extremely important that needs attending. Sadly I caught the flu or some nasty infection that keeps reoccurring which is a real shame. Althou...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jun 18, 2010, 10:24 am
Triangle is an extremely effective technique in both jiu jitsu and judo. The first time I tried it, I loved how effective it was provided you achieved the correct position. How wrong was I for thinking that I have mastered the technique after a year of training. The triangle choke is perhaps one of...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jun 16, 2010, 10:35 am
Those of us that love Judo and believe it is a strong martial art that can benefit your BJJ, here is a great demontration of the powerful Kouchi Gari through that can be used with devastating effect landing your opponent on his back in side control. The important thing when you use your Judo agains...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jun 15, 2010, 9:11 am
I am a great fan of the judo game. I love working to gain a strong grip and take the opponent down and then work my jiu jitsu to find the submission. There are many judo sceptics nowadays who say that you have to train wrestling, muay thai and bjj to be a complete fighter, but in my opinion unless...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jun 9, 2010, 10:50 am
Draculino is an absolute legend in the BJJ World and one of the top names in Gracie Barra. His technique is flawless and learning from him is a real privlege for anyone. Those of us that do not have the opportunity to train with him at Gracie Barra Texas can still enjoy his new instructional websi...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jun 7, 2010, 10:38 am
Ok, I have to say that it is extremely exciting to find out that there is a new MMA/BJJ/Wrestling club opening near me in the UK. (West Sussex) Sounds like there is plenty of opportunities to improve wrestling, MMA and BJJ. I am more and more interested in improving my takedowns and for this I have ...
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Grappler Blog posted an article on Grappler Blog - Jun 7, 2010, 3:13 am
Roger Gracie is an incredible competitor. He always goes for the submission and his skills are god-like. The BJJ Worlds 2010 has confirmed this once again. Check out the results here Roger is simply unstoppable and now the greatest ever in jiu jitsu. Watch the clip below. Taking the back is actu...
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