Camp 2017 Class

I was asked to teach a class titled “How to use BJJ to get out of bad situations” at MDP camp this year.  What follows is my class outline that I handed to all the students.

Let’s start with some term definitions. Jiu-Jitsu means “gentle way” in this class a bad situation, means “on the ground, with someone on top of you”.

In this class we are going to: 1) Examine the general methodology of BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu). 2) Examine a specific technique (for getting out of bad situations. 3) Examine the relationship of the methodology of BJJ generally and the specific technique we learn in the class to how we practice MDP (Mo Duk Pai).

Let’s lay out the general methodology of BJJ fIRS. The general methodology is meant to give the student of BJJ tools that are most likely to work against a fully resisting opponent within the context of BJJ rules.
1) Learn a technique by yourself, without a partner.
2) Practice that technique against a non-resisting partner.
3) Practice the technique against a specific resistance from your partner.
4) Play a constrained game in which both partners have a definable way of winning.
5) Play an open game in which both partners have a definable way of winning.
Next, let’s lay out the specific methodology of the BJJ technique we will be doing. The technique will be “bridging”.

Learn to bridge by yourself. Bring your head off the ground. Grab your imaginary partner’s arm with both your arms. Grab (on the same side as the arm) your imaginary partner’s foot with one foot. Bring your free foot as close to your hips as possible. Lift your hips off the ground. Roll (toward the same side as the grabbed arm & leg) on to your hands and knees.
Have a partner put you in the mount position. Their knees are just outside your hips. Their hands are on your shoulders. Execute the technique.
Have your partner slowly but persistently try to march their knees up into your armpits (A.K.A. The Evil Baby ™April Henry). Try the technique against this specific kind of resistance. Have your partner slowly but persistently strike at your head and body with open handed strikes. Try the technique against this specific kind of resistance.
Have your partner sit on top of you in the mount. They try and hold you down. You try and get up. You may use the bridging technique, or some other technique.
Play the game of BJJ. See if you can submit your partner. Start from the mount position.

Finally, let’s look at how this relates to MDP by asking some questions and doing some MDP drills and games.

In MDP, what are the ways we test and see if our striking skills work against a resisting opponent?
In MDP, what are some things we do that are equivalent or similar to steps 1-5 in the BJJ methodology?
What are the limits of the BJJ methodology? What are the limits of the MDP methodology?
Do some slow speed full reps.
Do some street sparring.
Do some street sparring starting from the mount position.