Inverted Gear Gi Review

Review coming soon to Breaking Muscle!!  I suggest you buy one immediately.

Jiu Jitsu Progear Rip-Stop Gi Review

The JiuJitsu Pro Gear (JJPG) Rip-Stop Light gi is my all-time favorite gi.  When my black JJPG gi arrived, I immediately knew that this gi was "The One"; it was love at first sight and that love has endured the test of time.  This review will be for both the navy and black versions.  I initially bought the navy but loved it so much I bought the black as well.  Many of my training partners at Titans MMA in Halifax, NS also train in JJPG gis, some of whom also have more than one version.

OSS Kimono Review

If you haven't read Meerkatsu's interview with OSS Clothing, the "About Us" blurb on their site goes like so:

Welcome to OSS Clothing, a premier apparel company born on the island of Oahu and spreading across the pacific. We believe that it’s the journey, not the destination that defines us and makes us who we are.

Wrestling for MMA

No one can deny the importance of wrestling in a competitor’s MMA game. Even if he or she isn’t a great take down artist, not developing good takedown defense is a huge mistake if a person wants to keep the fight standing.  Someone whose strength is on the ground would also benefit from the take down and positioning skills wrestling helps to develop.  

Chia Seeds for Athletic Endurance

A few months ago, I decided to add Muay Thai and MMA training to my schedule in order to prepare for my first MMA fight. I see jiu-jitsu as the foundation of my game so I didn’t want to neglect that area of my training for something new. Unfortunately, due to my full-time job, I am not able to split my marital arts training into different times of the day and so during an ideal week, my training schedule would look like so: 

Melyssa... In Rio

Melyssa Hutchinson is currently a BJJ blue belt under Vitor "Shaolin"Ribeiro in New York who started her jiu-jitsu training at Abhaya MMA in Wolfville, NS. She is in the process of changing training academies due to her experiences and connections in Brazil and also because of a family move to another city. Melyssa also teaches the children's jiujitsu class and has her own all-women's bootcamp style training program as well as co-ed conditioning classes called Fit to Fight. 

Titans Talk Tournaments

I've been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for about 4 years now and I'm only beginning to prepare for my first tournament, or I was until I injured my wrist.  My ambition is to compete in MMA but since I've never competed in anything before, I think it's probably a good idea to start from the ground up.  

Vibram Five Fingers Komodo Sport LS Review

Komodo Sport LS

I've mentioned in this blog previously that when I began training BJJ, I stopped lifting weights.  Over time, I realized that in order to be more effective, I would have to work on my strength and conditioning so I bought a membership at GoodLife Fitness.  My strength program is outlined in my Strength and Conditioning post; I don't do that split exclusively but I definitely do squats, dead lifts, bench press and military press regularly.  I see the other exercises as accessories and they vary.

The Evolution of a Game

Desmond Stockard BJJ Brown Belt

Desmond Stockard is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt out of Kaijin MMA in Santa Cruz, CA.  I was introduced to mixed martial arts about 5 years ago through a blog called Five Ounces of Pain, which was written by Tim Burke, who currently writes for Bloody Elbow, and Desmond.  Their enthusiasm for the sport was contagious and following their writings helped me to become a well-informed MMA fan.  Their writings also led to my first steps into the world of BJJ.

Cubicle to the Cage

Boyd Sharpe 

Cubicle to the Cage is a documentary series which features hardcore MMA fans who are attempting to make the transition into professional fighters.  I train at Titans MMA in Halifax, NS, where a lot of the documentary participants' training takes place with our MMA Coach, Renzo Gracie Black Belt Peter Martell.  He looks scary in this photo but he's one of the nicest guys at Titans; he's a very effective coach and based on what I've seen since Titans BJJ and Titans MMA merged clubs in January 2012, he really cares about his fighters.  They certainly respect him and the quality of his training is reflected in their fight performances; Roger "The Hulk" Hollett, Ricky Goodall, Mike Kent, Gavin Tucker,  Mike Mallott and many others have been successful under his guidance. 

Nutrition for Competitive Athletes and Normal People, Too.

If you've read my article about Strength and Conditioning, you know that when I began training BJJ, I stopped lifting weights because I thought BJJ was all I would need to stay in shape.  My main concern was what I looked like, not how well I was performing.  As I continued my jiujitsu training, I realized that in order to be effective, I would have to step it up a notch and add strength training; sometimes it's hard to find the time for everything but even harder is finding the energy.  I've also added MMA and muay thai training to my routine and I often find myself tired and irritable, even though I get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  I wanted to be competitive in my sport but I was overlooking two equally important factors:  diet and supplements.

Do You Even Lift? Olympic Weightlifting for MMA and "Dat Ass"

Jahed Momand and Harem 2012

Jahed Momand is a former Card Monkey who made wagers, clicked buttons and collected bananas until the government took his jerb.  Currently he is the Head of Risk Modeling at Personalized Medicine LLC after studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of California and Chemical Physics at the University of Illinois.  None of that really matters because today I am only going to ask him about Olympic lifting and its application in MMA and the development of "dat ass".

OSS Kid's Prototype Gi Pre-Wash Review

If you haven't read Meerkatsu's interview with OSS Clothing, the "About Us" blurb on their site goes like so:

Welcome to OSS Clothing, a premier apparel company born on the island of Oahu and spreading across the pacific. We believe that it’s the journey, not the destination that defines us and makes us who we are.
The name OSS is short for Oshi Shinobu. The first character “Oshi” means “to push,” and the second character “Shinobu” means “to endure.” Together they symbolize the importance of pushing, striving and persevering. To push yourself to your limit, when your body quits but your mind keeps pushing, when your mind is exhausted, but your spirit keeps you going, you endure the pain, you persevere, that is OSS!
OSS is a lifestyle brand designed by the people and powered by heart. We draw our inspiration from the indomitable spirit, we may lose the battle but we shall never be defeated! OSS!

Tatami Zero G v2 Gi Review

Like a G

The Tatami Zero G v2 is a very fresh looking, lightweight gi designed especially for women and it sells for $119.99 at Martial Arts Supplies.com and KarateDepot.com.  Gis of this weight are often considered to be a great summer gi but I prefer light gis year round; I recommend it for any time you think you might sweat in class.  Or any time you want to look like a G.  It even comes with a G bag.

Awww yeah...

Fushida "CompLS" Women's Gi Review

If you are not dazzled by the above photo, you don't deserve this gi.  When I saw that photo for the first time I knew I had to have the Fushida CompLS and up to that point, I didn't even really like white gis.  The embroidered "FUSHIDA" across each shoulder accompanied by the purple embroidered logo makes the styling of this gi minimalistic and "classy", for lack of a better word.  The inner cuff taping, the thick collar and the soft draping of the gleaming white fabric said to me that this was a top quality gi. The photo doesn't lie; of all of the gis I've bought, this is definitely the nicest looking and the quality is top notch.  These sentiments have been repeated in nearly every other review of the Fushida CompLS I've read.

BJJ: The Thinker's Game

A few months ago I read a very insightful article about BJJ called "The Pleasures of Drowning" written by Sam Harris, the well-respected author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, The Moral Landscape, and Free Will.  I was surprised to see he had written the article but I understand why a thinker like him would be drawn to BJJ.  He says:

Killer Bee Kimono's Ligustica MK II Review

The Killer Bee Kimono's Ligustica MK II is one of my all time favourite gis. It comes in black, blue and white and I've had mine for about a year.  I've hot washed and dried it about 20 times (I exaggerated in my video review a little, not thinking) and it's still in perfect condition because of the high quality construction and fabric.  Pricing is very reasonable at $78US for the top and $37US for the pants; they're sold separately rather than as a single proportion gi.


I'll give you a few brief facts and some photos but there's not much sense in typing out everything I've already said in this video. 

Which Way to the Gym Duffel Bag Review

I bought an amazing gym bag at Lululemon Athletica about a year ago; unfortunately the zipper broke so I took it back to the Halifax, NS store to see if it could be fixed.  Turns out it couldn't be but they offered me another bag of my choice to replace it.  Initially I was offered the Legendary Duffel but it was too small to hold all of my gear and the outside pockets didn't have zippers.

Strength and Conditioning Training

I supplement my jiu jitsu with strength and conditioning training.  Before I began BJJ, I only did weight training.  I lifted fairly heavily for my size but I really didn't have a good grasp on how to progress in the most efficient way or how to plan my training in the ideal way.  Most importantly, I think, I ignored core, cardio and explosive power training.  Everything works together to take your body toward its highest potential level of fitness.  The dumbest thing I did was completely give up on strength training when I started BJJ because I thought that would be all I needed to stay in shape.  The fault in my logic was in only caring what I looked like and not in how well I was performing.

BJJ's Choking Hazard: The Gi

The uniform worn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is called a gi and it takes a while to get used to.  Most people start BJJ in no gi and find the gi bulky and uncomfortable; I hated training gi for almost 2 years but I think a lot of the reason is because I didn't know how to use it to my advantage.  I still remember the first time I saw Jason Statham choke someone with his own jacket in Transporter how friggin cool I thought it was. Now I know how to choke people with their own clothing, too.  Bottom line is if they wear it, we can choke them with it.

WTF Does OSS Mean Anyway?

Shoyoroll is always posting OSS! on their Facebook wall and it annoys me; or it did because I didn't know what it meant.  Now I know so I guess it's okay.  Continue, Shoyoroll.

Check it out.

OSS!

That’s How I Roll Part 1: The Little Things…

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is mostly practiced by men but more and more women are training every day and they're starting for different reasons.  Some were introduced to BJJ by their boyfriends or husbands or girlfriends, some (like me) stumbled upon it while trying something else,  some want to add a new aspect to their existing martial arts skills;  regardless of the reason, BJJ will only improve their lives.

What's Up With Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

I've always wanted to learn martial arts. There are so many different ones to choose from though that it can be hard to decide what would most benefit you. For years all I did for fitness was weight lifting and I kept a log on a message board every day charting my progress. On that same board, there was a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) section where guys would talk about technique, gear, fighters and upcoming events. I became really interested in reading what they had to say every day and decided that I wanted to be a part of it. I did a Google search of the MMA clubs in my area and called to ask about classes.