​“You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Today I came across this video of Josh Barnett extolling the benefits of using pressure over flow in grappling/BJJ situations. 

Here is my best effort at transcribing this amazing bit of knowledge.

Student: (Describing his experience) Energy sucking. You know when Eric rolls with you and he starts pushing on you? I feel like Eric steals energy every time he submits.

Josh: That’s the way it should be though. If I’m not debilitating my opponent in my positioning my pinning, riding any of that as well as the locks and holds I’m trying to apply then I’m not doing everything I can I’m not being as efficient with my offense as I can be. I’m not being as superior a wrestler as I can be.

Student: No flow?

Josh: Flow is cool too. But why flow when I can pressure? Flow is when you need to. Flow is part of riding but when I find the opportunity or the advantage where I can apply pressure I apply pressure. All that flowing is great until someone shuts your shit down. Then all of a sudden you have no game. You have to be able to it all. You have to be able to flow. You have to be able to pressure. You have to be able to crush and smash, cut through people and then; avoid, distribute, redistribute, throw by pressure, pass it by you let it come to you and use it. All of the above.
If you just do one thing, if all you can do is try to pin everybody you’re probably too stiff and you’ll get reversed a lot. If all you do is flow someone will lock your shit down and then you’re done. You have to know when to use what and how to use it. I’m telling you pressure, pressure, pressure. Flow doesn’t make people tired, pressure does.

Student: So true.

Josh: Every big time Jiu Jitsu guy I don’t give a shit what they say, what their mantra is, they are all crazy strong, they are all crazy fast, and they all use crazy muscle strength and pressure, with good technique too. They all use strength. They don’t wrestle easy. They don’t win titles s by flowing and blah blah blah it’s a bullshit lie. They get pressured, someone puts some muscle on them, they put more muscle back and then they beat them. Period. I never rolled with a high level black belt that wasn’t’ strong as shit, didn’t use his strength a ton and didn’t try to use that technique within his strength, every time. No bones about it they don’t exist they’re always using strength in some way.

Watch the original video here

For years I’ve found Catch as Catch Can Wrestling techniques to be extremely versatile and devastating against BJJ fighters. As Josh Barnett continues to prove CACC’s effectiveness not only in MMA but in standalone Grappling events how can anyone not see the value in studying CACC techniques?

Everything Josh shows on his DVD is like pure gold and as cheesy as it sounds if you follow the techniques he shares in his DVD’s you’ll be winning gold at tournaments. I should know, I’ve used CACC specific techniques the past few years on my way to winning the 2014 FILA Grappling/Pankration Submission World Team Trials and also the SJJIF No-Gi Jiu Jitsu World Championships.

It’s not just wrestling. It’s not just BJJ. It is simply Catch as Catch Can. If you’re not learning this stuff those who do will leave you behind.

Josh Barnett DVD’s found here!

http://www.scientificwrestling.com/products/item48.cfm

http://www.scientificwrestling.com/products/item42.cfm

Here is a link to Josh’s Metamoris 6 victory against Ryron Gracie. Watch it while its still up. I’m sure it won’t be up long. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrUG4Xd40u4

"Your goal can be a driving force to keep you going regardless of your self-doubt and weaknesses. Choose goals that excite and challenge you, that are truly worth achieving, and worthy of your time and best efforts.

Believing in your goals becomes more believable when you can look to the examples of others who have gone before. Study those who have achieved what you hope to achieve." (from Champions Find a Way: How to Become a Champion in Sport and in Life pg. 23)

I'm a big believer in goals and their power to move us forward. Every few months I evaluate and adjust my goals and when things are going well I get to record them as having been accomplished. That is always a great feeling! 

As a coach one of my greatest rewards is when the athletes I coach achieve their goals. One of the great athletes that I have the privilege of training is MMA fighter Koffi Adzitso. A few years back Koffi and I were driving home from a grappling tournament we had just competed at in Las Vegas. We had plenty of time to talk so we got around to the topic of what his goals were. 

I told him about the power of goals and how written goals had even more power. I'm not 100% sure why but written goals have a power even beyond spoken goals. 

We talked about his fighting career and some of the bigger shows that he would like to fight in. He had already fought for all of the best local shows and had even fought for a King of the Cage world title at one point. We were trying to decide what would be the next thing to pursue. We mulled over a few fights and organizations that sounded good and he wrote it down. 

For whatever reason I ended up with his goal list in my notebook and for whatever reason we thought that it had been lost. For a period of about two years we didn't see that list again. We talked about those written goals when we trained together and kept them on our minds. But I'm not sure if he ever wrote them down other than just the one time.

Over the course of the next couple of years he fought in various shows against tougher and tougher competition, even to the level of knocking out two consecutive UFC veterans and fighting a third UFC vet within that time frame. Eventually he got a shot at Bellator and lost a decision in a fight against a beast of an opponent who had destroyed everyone else he'd fought. 

Eventually I found Koffi's goal list in my records and when I showed it to him again we were both amazed at how much he had accomplished and how closely it aligned with that written list even though we had not seen that exact list in about two years. 

This reaffirmed the power of written goals and their ability to guide us both consciously and subconsciously. If you are still trying to figure out what you want to do in life or whether you already have some solid ideas I encourage  you to write down your goals, give them a date for their accomplishment and then take action!

Goals + Deadline + Action = Achievement. 

 

Attacking the Guard
I watched about 5 minutes of this video and thought to myself, “Do people understand what this guy is showing? Because if they did EVERYONE that participates in today’s MMA, Grappling and BJJ competitions would own this DVD!”

That is how good I thought the concepts and techniques coming out of this DVD were, and that was just the first 5 minutes! 

Josh delves into concepts of posture and breaking grips in addition to punishing and breaking guard players wide open. He isn’t nice about it either. Josh shows you techniques and approaches that are generally frowned upon in most BJJ dojos because of their meanness, aggression and effectiveness against even the most dominant guard players. 

If that wasn’t enough I got just as much if not more out of the Catch Wrestling Vol. I Punishing Rides DVD also starring Josh Barnett. 

Punishing Rides DVD
Barnett shares great rides for Wrestling, Grappling and MMA. These are not just your typical Folkstyle wrestling rides either. These rides have teeth big enough to sink into any grappling situation. These are offensive rides and hold down positions not just lay-and-wait positions. 

One of the most poignant speeches is about BJJ and the lack of rides and pressures. His words seem almost prophetic looking back on it now. He talked quite emphatically about the usefulness and possibilities of a certain Head and Arm ride. It is this same ride that he defeated Dean Lister with during their Metamoris 4 bout. Their match was the first time Lister has been submitted in 16 years.

On top of showing some great technique and insights Josh gets more loose and entertaining as the DVD progresses. He is very funny. Just about everything in this DVD is unconventional from a BJJ standpoint and that is what is so great about it. This tuff works!

As a competitor Josh Barnett has done and won everything there is to be won in the sport; UFC champion, Pancrase Champion, IBJJF No Gi World Champion and Metamoris Super Heavyweight World Champion. 

You would think at some point the BJJ and Grappling community in general would begin to take notice and listen to what this guy has to say. However I am willing to bet that they won’t to their own detriment. Too often Brazilian Jiu Jitsu’s downfall is its own popularity and perceived value. 

BJJ for whatever reason both proclaims to be “the new revelation” yet at the same time holds to “tradition” and shuns anything that is not BJJ. I can’t tell you how many times BJJ guys will sit and tell me how BJJ guys can beat wrestlers and go on and on. I think to myself that they must be complete BJJ tools if they still believe that BJJ is invincible. In grappling situations they certainly thrive but let’s be honest, it has been a long time since a BJJ purist has held any of the major MMA titles.

If there is any one thing that real practitioners of the grappling arts should come to accept is that no one single art has the lock on effectiveness. Both of the Josh Barnett DVD’s show exactly why Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling is one of the best sources for powerful grappling techniques. I was extremely happy when Barnett submitted Lister using tried and true CACC techniques because it once again proved the effectiveness of one of the oldest and best forms of grappling around. I found so many gems in this DVD that it is currently at the top of my “must watch” list for grappling. 

I've recently finished my first book titled, Champions Find a Way: How to Become a Champion in Sport and in Life. It is a quick read jammed pack with great information on how you can achieve  your goals in sport and life. I show you principles and techniques that I've used personally to become a champion. These principles have also helped my athletes have great success. Roy Nash, 7 x national champion and world team member. Brayden Nuffer, utah junior national team member. Dalton Mortensen, High School All American. These guys have all been able to get these strategies and now I'm passing on the opportunity to you. Check it out! 

Wade Schalles is one of the hidden gems of US wrestling.
Why on earth he isnt coaching more at the upper level of collegiate wrestling is
beyond me. I just got done watching his Killer Cradles DVD series. Wade’s
knowledge is amazing and im very excited to put his ideas into my team’s
training. Here is some of what Wade had done: (from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wade_Schalles)

“Wade Schalles…is an American amateur wrestler, a
two-time NCAA National Championwho holds multiple records in the sport
including holding the Guinness Book of World Records title for most amateur
wrestling wins and pins, and is the creator of several of wrestling's most
notorious moves - including the Spladleand the Cement
Mixer.”

This guy has been credited with inventing moves for heaven’s sake!

“Dan Gable called him, "the greatest pinner he's ever seen!" Currently he is in the Guinness
Book of World Records for having the most wins and pins of anyone who has ever competed.”

This DVD is about pinning and the principles that Wade shares work. Recently I had an athlete in our club
who was struggling; I mean getting totally obliterated by everyone he wrestled. I shared a couple of
small details from this DVD with my athlete and then he proceeded to pin his way
to three consecutive wins and a first place finish at a local spring tournament.
Having the knowledge to perform is the first part of success. I saw my athlete
turn a corner at that tournament and not only did he finally win some matches he
gained much needed confidence. 

I promise you that there will be far fewer athletes out there learning and doing the techniques and
that Wade teaches than those that are. You have the great opportunity to start winning
more and become a champion. 

All it takes is one DVD. For the cost of what many of you will pay on a couple of forgotten weekends
of movies, popcorn and pizza you could put the keys to pinning and winning into your hands.  

I highly recommend this DVD for anyone looking for more pins and wants to become a champion.