And the winners are …
August 4th, 2009nadera Says:
July 17th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Paul, I look forward to this new video set. As you know, there are a myriad of techniques available through DVD, internet, private instruction etc.
I’ve spent years acquiring these techniques by any means necessary. I focused so much on building a repertoire of moves that I could pull out in any situation.
After countless hours of research, I built a huge arsenal of attacks, sweeps and escapes. What I found however, was that these moves in many cases were useless to me.
Why? I lacked the strategic framework necessary to implement the moves at the optimum time. For the past year or so, I have begun whittling down my game, trying in essence to “simplify the noise”. I now focus on a handful of techniques that are high percentage moves. Beyond that, I look to use them at the optimum time – maximum efficiency, minimum effort.
I sincerely wish I would have had access to your videos 10 years ago when I first set out on this long road. I truly believe I would have advanced at a much quicker rate.
Thank you for finally providing the why, the when, and the how.
Mark Hauck Says:
July 16th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Okay, I’m going to wax philosophical here.
The more I learn about ground work, the more I see the comparison to music being accurate. Paul, in this piece, stresses the concept of strategy being of utmost importance. Music requires composition (strategy) to make a song composed of notes (techniques) and pauses (rests) as well as how they are combined (transitions) to make music.
This video stresses the importance of knowing when to rest often being just as important as to when and what move to make.
Excellent stuff for young and old.
Corey Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:51 am
Master Paul:
Great words and great advice. I’m easily the oldest guy in my class, and at 5′6″ & 155lbs, also the smallest. That mindset you’re talking about is especially important for me to keep in mind, as I usually don’t have the option of falling back on brute strength to hold my position against the larger guys in the class.
My coach (who speaks very highly of you and what you’ve taught him) and now you have been insistent on stressing technique and the proper mental game over sheer muscle.
Thanks again.
-Corey
Paul LaPorte Says:
July 24th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Paul always does a great job to find the grappling principle you should employ, and not just cheap techniques. Combined with his ability to communicate and break things down, it makes his teaching invaluable, and not just for OGs like me. Trust me, I have trained and studied under the best of the Brazilians, and they may know these things, but they just do not teach the over-arching principles that we should be stringing together.
Thank you Paul, and please keep it coming!
Mattias Says:
July 29th, 2009 at 12:38 am
Paul:
I think this was very helpful. I am thinking a lot about the different states/paces of being “active”, passive, explosive as well as slow. I have realized before the importance of strategic placements of feet and hands when defending the guard but I have never come across the approach of stressing having all four limbs working at the same time and NOT having anyone taking the day off! Very good!
Thanks a lot!
Mattias
Keith Reynolds Says:
July 29th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Thanks, Paul. This one reinforces what I’ve learned myself and having you put the exclamation point to it really makes this stick.
“Weathering the storm” is something as an OG (52) I’ve made myself adopt with mostly the newer white belts. They’ll blow themselves out and make the tap easy as long as I don’t try to go “muscle or muscle” with them.
Appreciate the good advice and I need to make some time and view the other videos you’ve published these past few weeks.
Regards,
Keith Reynolds
Solis Martial Arts Academy
Humble, TX
Chris C. Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 2:32 am
Great tip, Paul. I have the OG Video [Clinic] 1 where you expound on this exact subject and it has has helped me immensely.
I am naturally a laid back try-to-be nice guy, but we get new guys in the gym that come once or maybe for a week that are muscled up wrestler types and look at you like you’re their grappling dummy. I used to look down, look away, smile, laugh a little before sparring and I was shook before we ever engaged out of shyness and timidity.
Now, I have much more confidence and will look them eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose,send the message to them that I’m not their doormat and they are going to have a war on their hands before sparring even starts. An interesting thing I’ve noticed is even a smaller/medium sized guy like me giving them the treatment tends to disorient and catch them by surprise because they are used to being the alphas and having the other guy at a mental disadvantage though the match and it’s just not there.
When sparring, I am only as rude with techniques/return bullying as they give me reason to be. But if they push, they will get pushed back plus a little.
I can honestly say I have you to thank Paul for looking at the game from a different perspective and realizing Bullying and Posturing is psychological and you can play the same game and can be distracting to the point that it can open up opportunities for you.
Thanks again,
Chris C.