Yoga for BJJ with Sebastian Brosche (Yogaforbjj.net)

While being an ambassador within the BJJ community, some may not have realized much of Sebastian Brosche’s ability in the art of Jiu Jitsu (as well as his recovery) stems from the practice of Yoga – as he makes his mark within the ancient practice.

I had an opportunity to catch up with the BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and Judoka brown belt from Sweden >> You can skip to the interview here or visit his website at (www.yogaforbjj.net).

Yoga for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) with Sebastian Brosche (Yogaforbjj.net)

Sebastian’s achievements in recent years within BJJ have pitted him at the peak of Europe’s top practitioners; with victories in Abu Dhabi, invitational tournaments (such as the Toukon challenge), and placing at the 2015 IBJJF Europeans (second in the adult, brown-belt middle-weight division and third in absolute).

His appearances on social media (facebook, instagram, youtube) have further won fans over, posting latest match videos, and Yoga Flows while occasionally shedding light onto pressing issues (such as the treatment of animals for food); he is one of a growing number of BJJ practitioners/athletes following a vegetarian (or plant-based) diet.

Discussion with Sebastian Brosche:

How often do you drill BJJ technique, spar rounds, practice yoga, or lift weights/condition per week.

Sebastian: I train yoga 3-5 sessions, BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) 2-3 sessions and weightlifting once a week. I am prioritizing work now, but am aiming to double everything next year.

There are many types of Yoga. Which type(s) in particular do you practice and why?

Sebastian: I practice Vinyasa Flow Yoga (moving with the breathe), since it is the most dynamic and strength building yoga I know. It gives me better fitness, isometric strength, improved balance, more flexibility and many other things.

For the young BJJ Practitioner, what age would you recommend practice of Yoga?

Sebastian: The earlier the better – absolutely. The problem with kids is that they are already flexible by nature, and recover from injuries very fast, so for them it is usually difficult to see the advantages of Yoga practice [in these early stages]. Also, the results you get from yoga are perhaps a bit more subtle than those you may get from weightlifting or drilling techniques, but if a young person practices yoga regularly it will benefit them immensely.

How and why do you feel Yoga translates over to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (or all sports for that matter).

Sebastian: My simple answer is that Yoga actually gives you more energy. Or rather, you eventually learn how to conserve energy and not waste it. For me, it is impossible to not gain benefits in strength, balance and flexibility, given the challenging sequences I [or one may] do; when you are completely present in your Yoga practice, your focus, concentration and the quality of movements also increase. It is impossible for me to describe how good this is for sports; it simply has to be experienced.

Have you been on any ventures to parts of India or Thailand or ‘other’?

No, I have not. For me Yoga is a compliment to my life and not my lifestyle. My fiancée and I are always staying a couple of weeks after the IBJJF Worlds in California to go to as many different yoga classes as possible, and that is always eye opening. If you find yourself in Santa Monica, go to a few classes. You will not regret it!

Do you believe Yoga allows us to obtain a more peaceful state of being?

Sebastian: Yes, I wholeheartedly believe that a conscious yoga practice allows us to remove fluctuations of the mind and find a more serene and harmonious state of existence. A world of peace and love is far from impossible, as long as we all start where we are, and avoid procrastination and fooling ourselves.

Do you believe in concepts such as the chakra, karma, spirit and the soul?

Sebastian: Belief is the right word, since esoteric questions (or rather, inquires) has no proof or definite answer. I believe that “karma” is our own conscience, and that we deep down always know if what we do is good or bad for others. If we do bad choices that hurt others, we will unconsciously find a way to punish ourselves. I do not know anything about the concepts of chakras, or energy centers. Regarding spirit and soul, I do believe that there is one part of our being that is beyond living and dying, and that when our body is finished, we in a way return to where we started. I am not anxiously afraid of dying, and I like to believe that death is the crescendo of life. At least that is a comforting thought for me.

What are your future plans in terms of Jiu Jitsu, your Yoga practice, and YogaForBJJ.net?

Sebastian: I am determined to win Abu Dhabi Pro and Worlds in brown. After that we will see if my Yoga is ready to be taken to the next level in terms of strength and challenges. Waking up early and going to bed early is for sure the biggest factor in this. As for yogaforbjj.net, my goal is post several videos every week, and to even work with it full time. Members of the website are constantly sending me good feedback, so it is definitely worth the work!

Here’s an advanced video compilation, displaying Sebastian’s abilities through the practice of Yoga:

YOGAFORBJJ.NET

As mentioned, Sebastian not only practices Yoga regularly, but operates a website called Yoga for BJJ (www.yogaforbjj.net), where he demo’s beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercises related to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – but suitable for any level of athlete. This is done using specific Yoga flows and vinyasa’s (the act of moving with the breathe) as well as teaching stretches for recovery, and injury prevention.

The videos for the premium membership ($14.00 (US) or $17.50 (CAN) / month) give you full access to videos: to further strength, movement and flexibility along with pre-competition and post training routines.

Yoga for BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) with Sebastian Brosche (Yogaforbjj.net)

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MUNDIAL ABU DHABI 2013 – Kit James Dale x Sebastian Brosche by X-COMBAT

Rickson Gracie in particular, touted the effectiveness of Yoga throughout his career, in increasing ones Brazilian Jiu Jitsu capabilities – let alone, the importance of the breathe as a means of conserving energy, maintaining focus and managing stress levels. Eddie Bravo and many other BJJ practitioners further emphasize the importance of Yoga style stretching.

REFERENCE

Yoga For BJJ (www.yogaforbjj.net)

Rolling Back Time – Leandro Lo vs. Kron Gracie (IBJJF Worlds 2011)

We’re going to roll-back time to checkout one of my favorite matches of 2011: an encounter between Kron Gracie and Leandro Lo – two highly revered, and talented athletes.

Prior to this encounter, the two had stamped their mark in the Jiu Jitsu world; Kron needed no introduction – the son of the one, Rickson Gracie, while Leandro Lo was making ripples in Brazil. The two were now poised to meet at the IBJJF Worlds 2011 competition in Long Beach, California.

ANALYSIS OVERVIEW

Highlights in this match include Leandro Lo’s single-leg x-guard sweep, aggressive toreando pass attempts, followed by a brilliant back-take; Leandro takes a 6 to 0 lead just half-way into the match. As many of Lo’s opponents have found out in the past, once Lo sweeps, and applies his heavy top game, it can be hard to stand a chance.

Kron on the other hand, has other ideas, displaying a brilliant escape to retain guard (wrist control to hip escape); this occurring as Lo has his back.

As Kron retains guard, he begins to apply heavy pressure from bottom, momentarily stalling out Lo’s heavy top game – the rest is for you too see.

The winner of this match emphasizes composure, along with an endless will to fire back and maintain relentless pressure during key moments in the match (a testament to the level of conditioning endured beforehand).

Stuart Cooper Films: Jiu Jitsu – “A Way Of Life”

On January 8, 2014, Stuart Cooper Films released a fantastic motivational video, titled “Jiu Jitsu – A Way Of Life.” The video may leave you speechless, as it comprehensively articulates this amazing sport through the eyes of top Jiu Jitsu fans and practitioners.

This is just one of a number of amazing videos released by Stuart Cooper, and I would urge you to subscribe to his Youtube channel, for future compilations.

For now, here is the latest, in its entirety:

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Stuart Cooper: “Please take the time to watch my new motivational BJJ video featuring very wise and inspiring words from the worlds best BJJ Athletes in the world, such as ADCC Champions Andre Galvao, Dean Lister, Rafael Lovato JR, and Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu… Also featuring words from Joe Rogan, Fernando Maccachero and Nic Gregoriades. In this new video i have tried to create something that inspires and motivates the BJJ community and also to encourage more people to take up the sport. The aim of this video is to also show that BJJ is more than just a sport and how it brings people together from all walks of life. It creates, friendships, relationships, discipline, respect, self confidence and gives people a purpose and something to strive and aim for in life. To me BJJ is the most amazing sport that always continues to grow and evolve around the world.”

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Notable Matches, 2013 (Gi and No Gi)

To bring in the New Year, I scoured Youtube for videos of matches available to the public – ones which I’d seen previously or had heard of, or found based on having prepared this list. So here are my top 5 favourite matches of 2013. The criteria is based on the level of action, competitiveness and technicality shown by both fighters throughout the course of the match. Interestingly, 4 of the 5 selected, are no gi matches.

1. Eduardo Telles vs. Felipe Pena, 2013 No-Gi World: What more can you say. This match is back-and-forth, until the very end.

2. Kron Gracie vs Gary Tonnen, ADCC 2013: We look to ADCC and find a top-tier match. Watching this match live, was truly exciting. Gary Tonnen earned the name “the people’s champion” leading up to his ADCC debut, and his match against a sure-to-be-legend, Kron Gracie, proved exactly why. After Kron mounts Gary, then takes his back, Kron threatens a devastating arm-bar around 4:25 of the match video. Somehow, Gary manages to find a way out, and reverses the flow of the match by taking Kron’s back – a feat rarely seen. The two continue to fight in deep waters, while experience and tenacity proves to be the determining outcome.

3. Caio Terra vs Bruno Malfacine, 2013 IBJJF World Gi Championships: With history between the two competitors (Bruno getting the better of Caio in recent years), Caio had a lot weighing on this match, and the level of pressure could be felt throughout the arena and on live stream. The match was intriguing from start to finish given the complexity of positional-play involved, and transitions traded between the two. Early on, Caio looks to be getting overwhelmed, as Bruno chips away with a strong top-game. As the match continues on, you get a sense that Caio is playing rope-a-dope, ala Muhammed Ali, but Bruno continues some fantastic pressure from the top. The match comes down to the final moments, when the two fight vigorously for the last inch of breathe and balance, with one of two, victorious in the process.

4. Kron Gracie vs. Otavio Souza, at Metamoris 2: A fantastic match. The two, go back and forth with guard sweeps, and Kron eventually puts on the pressure, to hit a lightning quick arm-bar for the finish.

5. Ben Henderson vs Leonardo Nogueira, ADCC 2013: This match goes through just about every motion, highlighted by some adept wrestling, and unending attempts at the guillotine choke.

6. Laercio Fernandes vs Rafael Freitas, 2013 IBJJF No-Gi Worlds: Another fantastic match from the No Gi, Worlds, emphasizing the notion of survivability, with high-level intensity to boot. A brabo choke is attempted early by Rafael Freitas, which threatens to end the match, but Laercio has other ideas. After the reset, we see some tenacious guard passing, as Laercio transitions brilliantly to take Rafael’s back. From here, Laercio begins to chip away, but Rafael Freitas’s choke defense/survival instincts are truly brilliant to see, irrespective of the outcome; this is a highly competitive match.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

• Keenan Cornelius v James Puopolo, FIVE Grappling California Invitational
• Sebastian Brosche vs Joao Miyao – Worlds 2013 Absolute
• Marcus Almeida “Buchecha” vs Rodolfo Vieira 2013 Worlds
• Paulo Miyao – Match 2, European Open 2013, Brown Adult, Feather
• Keenan Cornelius vs. Gianni Grippo, Boston Open, 2013, Brown Belt

NOTABLE SUBMISSIONS, 2013:

I was able to locate a few top-tier submissions executed in 2013, bearing in mind that it’s near impossible to see them all. This is obviously due to the fact that many submissions may not have been recorded and/or may not have been uploaded to Youtube. Nonetheless, I was able to conjure up some fairly worthwhile submissions, and here they are:

1. Knee-Bar: Braulio Estima vs Sergio Machado, IBJJF Mundials Worlds 2013
2. Omoplata: Clark Gracie vs Diego Borges – 2013 Copa Podio
3. Arm-Bar: AJ Agazarm vs Vitor Oliveira – 2013 American Nationals

Yoga For Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ): Sebastian Brosche

If you haven’t heard of Sebastian Brosche’s new Yoga website – Yoga for BJJ players (“Yoga Hytta”) – I urge you to take a look.

YOGA FOR BJJ – Sebastian Brosche

Sebastian himself, is a top BJJ player, having taken on, and beaten the likes of Kit Dale (Sebastian in Abu Dhabi 2013, BJJ Trials), and Joao Miyao (Sebastian in Worlds 2013 Absolute) to name a few.

His top game features pressure passing, while his guard game is robust – both of which, are a testament to his hard work > awareness and athletic ability.

After watching his Yoga videos, you can see why he is such an effective practitioner – in a sport such as Jiu Jitsu – the body requires attention/maintenance to continue on at a high level.

Here’s a video (teaser), displaying a more advanced Yoga flow, by Sebastian himself – released recently:

Membership/registration opens up access to roughly 22 videos and counting – of which contain a plethora of information on opening up the hips, hamstrings, ankles, shoulders, warm-ups for competition, cool-down after training… you name it.

As noted on www.yogahytta.com…

Benefits of a regular Yoga practice include:

• Greatly Improved guard game
• Lesser or no injuries
• Mental calmness in tournaments
• Better stamina and deeper breath
• Move smoother with less effort
• Higher awareness of your body
• Longer endurance in submission attempts
• Sharper focus and presence in a match
• Stronger Core muscles
• Increase your training-amount
• Faster restoration and less fatigue
• Better submission resistance
• Better Balance, sweep-defense & Base

I’ve got my membership ($14.00 (CAN) / Month) and to help deal with hip and shoulder problems, have taken away some great stretch’s from Sebastian’s teachings.

If practiced daily, the benefits are resounding – and do not require a $100 membership at your nearest Yoga studio. You can practice in the luxury of your own home, or even in the sauna – once you’ve gotten the flow of content Sebastian presents.

Positional Studies: The “Gerbi” Choke

A very neat modification to the Peruvian neck-tie; this one is called the ‘Gerbi’ choke – well executed (just days ago) at the 2013 World Judo Championships by Yarden Gerbi.

Yarden would go on to win the Judo, women’s 63 kg division.

You can see around 1:13 of the match video, Yarden clearly has been practicing this on the training mats.

She begins by forcing her opponent to turtle position, then secures her under-hook on one side, while proceeding to undo her own gi (with her other arm), so she can pass it under her opponents neck, to the under-hook she has already secured. From there on, it’s a standard Peruvian finish: (1) near leg over the head, (2) far leg over the opponents lower back to follow; then it’s a matter of applying the right leverage/torque; her opponent goes out.

BJJ World Champion Ary Farias’ Lifting (Weight) Routine

World Champion, feather-weight, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner – Ary Farias, shows off his 4 day/week weight lifting routine, and discusses the importance of weight-lifting for competition.

The Worlds 2013 – Learning Lesson’s and Review

The Worlds 2013 came by and swept us away with controversy yet again. Before we get into that, it’s worth noting: the usual suspects came to surface; Buchecha showed his dominance by winning his division, and the absolute (against a strong Rodolfo Vieria). Braulio Estima showed that age is irrelevant as he dismantled Andre Galvao, going on to win gold. Paulo Miyao ousted Keenan Cornelius at last, to go on to win the brown belt, absolute division; Paulo was left in tears as he could barely fathom beating his most difficult rival to-date. Tanquinho stunned the always-methodical Rafa Mendes via 1 score at the dieing seconds of the feather-weight finals.

Match video’s may be seen at www.bjjfights.com.

Along with some fantastic preliminary bouts, and finals, dark trends came to the forefront; of which may need to be addressed for future events. Firstly, the old ‘double guard pull‘ is beginning to really show its true colors – culminating into 10 minute matches that are quite uninspiring. Although the elements of strategy and positional play remain vital even in this position, it’s becoming more and more a trend that the double guard pull is being used to conserve energy, stall the opponent and/or setup corresponding transitions which can be uninspiring to say the least.

Traditionalists and veterans of the sport, the likes of which include Saulo Ribeiro and even Rickson Gracie are beginning to become more vocal about the ‘double guard pull’; Saulo has released a video on Youtube, addressing his take on this position, while Metamoris posted this quote from Rickson Gracie encompassing this and many other positions – such as the 50/50 Guard.

My personal take on this – I fully agree: at the heart of Jiu Jitsu, self-defense through evasion and attack are of utmost importance. However, at the ‘sport-level’, current rules don’t encourage this. If victory (based on the current point system in effect) is of utmost importance, then there’s nothing wrong with an athlete who assumes stall tactics in order to progress or hold onto victory. To address this, rules can be altered or changed – even if we are witnessing some stale and uninspiring encounters, it is the job of the athlete (being stalled) to deal with stall positions by finding a way out, and impose his/her will on the opponent in return. If this cannot be done, then it is the fault of the athlete – and the rules encourage this for the most part.

IBJJF is getting strict on the players who fail to progress their position – and this is a good thing – although inconsistent at times. The moral of the story: so long as rules do not address neutral positions and create for constant flow of action, we will continue to see what we are seeing – especially if matches are 10 minutes in duration, requiring 5 match victories for gold – this can be quite tiresome.

Continuing with the theme on rule changes, in an extraordinary light-feather match between Ary Farias, and Gabriel Moraes, Ary was up by 1 advantage as the final whistle went to end the match. Upon celebration, it appears that Ary forgot of the IBJJF rule change; as BJJ Eastern Europe reports:

“The rule, although new, is very clear: The athlete that leaves the fighting area to celebrate will be punished with one advantage being given to their opponent.”

That 1 point advantage, as it turns out, was enough to over-turn Ary’s victory, and place Gabriel Moraes as the 2013 Worlds, light-feather champion.

The general consensus sees the rule change and the decision altogether to be quite harsh, while some are saying rules are rules.

International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation – Worlds 2013

It’s that time again: the Super Bowl of Jiu Jitsu events has arrived. It’s amazing how television / sports channels have become irrelevant as the internet is now home to live streams – one being the 2013 World Jiu Jitsu Championships.

Get your live feed at WWW.IBJJFTV.COM; the event/feed begins this Thursday, peaking its climax come Saturday/Sunday, when the worlds best face off.

As posted, by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation:

WORLDS 2013 WATCH IT IN YOUR HOME!

PREORDER the live broadcast now at WWW.IBJJFTV.COM

IBJJF Worlds 2013

Preparation: The Mendes Bro’s | Art of Jiu Jitsu

“The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or defeat. Let nature take its course, and your tools will strike at the right moment.” #brucelee #belikewater #likewater || @rvca @rvcasport || pic by BJJPix.com || #aojstyle #aojacademy #artofjiujitsuacademy #artofjiujitsu || OSS Art of Jiu Jitsu Academy

As posted on Facebook [GROUP: ‘MENDES BROS’]

MENDES BROTHERS AND TEAM ATOS | PREPARING FOR ‘WORLDS 2013’

GUILLERME MENDES: ‘LIGHTWEIGHTS ONLY FIGHT FROM THE BOTTOM’

As posted on Facebook – May 27, 2013 – Facebook Group: Mendes Bro’s

Gui Mendes: “I Have A More Versatile Game Than My Rivals. 90% Of Lightweights Only Fight From The Bottom.”

Guilhereme Mendes talked in a recent interview with Kid Peligro of ADcombat, and discussed why he is so successful, and the training at Art of Jiu -Jitsu academy in preparation for the Worlds which is two weeks away:

“KP- Gui, you’ve also been extremely successful in your career, what makes you reach the top of the podium with this frequency?

GM- I believe in the fact that I have a more versatile game than my opponents in my weight division. 90% of the light feather competitors only fight from the bottom, I train to feel confident and comfortable wherever I am in a match

KP- Gui, who do you see as toughest opponents in this Worlds?

GM- My training partners are my toughest opponents always, I know if I train well against all of them I am certain that I have great chance of doing great at the Worlds. I train witht eh World Champion of the weight above me (brother Rafa) since I’ve started Jiu-Jitsu and that gives me extra confidence. No one is like Rafael

KP- Rafa & Gui, what is that motivates you to train and get better?

MB- The search for new goals, we’ve always dreamed big and we love to work hard. We are young and blessed by the Lord

KP- Atos Team has been showing up big and looking to take the lead in tournaments, to what you attribute that emergence?

MB- We have a large number of extremely hard working people in our team.”