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.

Bruce Baumgartner is the most decorated American wrestler of all time. He dominated over a decade of competition winning 4 Olympic medals, 9 world medals, including two Olympic golds and 3 World Championships, 8 World Cup
championships, and 17 National championships.

When it comes to talking about ‘Best of All Time’ in American wrestling unfortunately for some reason Bruce often gets overlooked. In my mind he is the one and only choice hands down.

In a country that prides itself on one-hit Olympic wonders and some time world medalists Bruce deserves much more recognition than he often receives. He was never a flashy wrestler but he consistently represented himself and the
Unites States in world and Olympic competition. For years the US took for granted the medals that Bruce would bring home in the heavyweight division. 

Baumgartner won his first Olympic medal (Gold 1984) at age 24 and his last at age 36 (Bronze 1996). Since his retirement from competition the US has struggled in bringing home medals in the Freestyle heavy weight division. 

I only had one opportunity to watch Bruce Baumgartner live in action. I was fortunate enough to see him dominate Tom Erikson in the finals match of the 1995 national championships held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Erikson would later go on to become a Mixed Martial Arts champion.

Bruce was a force of nature and was the biggest human being I had ever seen. He was big and powerful. He exuded determination and acted and performed with a purpose.

The thing that stood out most to me about him wasn’t his obliteration of Erikson but that after he had finished winning his national title he continued training. He began vigorously jumping rope; he ran sprints up and down the arena floor. He had a look of steel on his face. His determination was incredible. He was preparing for the 1995 freestyle world championships which were going to be held in Atlanta, Georgia. Bruce went on to win the world championships that year as well. 

His example stuck with me for years and it was one of the more influential things I’ve witnessed as a wrestler.

Resources: Bruce Baumgartner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Baumgartner
 
http://www.brucebaumgartner.com/

“You don’t always have to be the best team to win the game.” Was a quote I heard recently that got me thinking; How many times do athletes with more skill or ability lose to opponents that they should not?


Unfortunately there are times when an athlete loses to an opponent that they should not lose to. Coaches often say “he falls apart mentally,” or “It’s all in his head”. It is often in fact, not all in his head. The reason that it is not all in the athlete’s head is because the coach hasn’t put it all in there. There are often pieces of the puzzle missing and coaches need to understand this and correct it.


Athletes often have more techniques than they know what to do with, in consequence they don’t do. They are often unsure of the logical next step of the match. This has been the downfall of many a potentially great athlete. Techniques are great but one size doesn’t always fit.


Conditioning is required however on its own it gets wasted and misused. If it
is undirected it can be a double edged sword. Athletes make mistakes of being
over aggressive and forcing offense.  Coaches and athletes alike are
willing to work hard and push it physically. They often miss one of the most
important pieces of the competition puzzle, Problem Solving.

The number one skill that must be developed to be a successful wrestler is
problem solving. Too often coaches and athletes forget that the sport of
wrestling is one of physical problem solving. I have never had a coach that sat
me down and explained that to me. They never explained here is how the match
starts, here is what happens next, here is what happens after that, here is how
it can end, here are options for a, b, c. 

Never. Not one. Most likely because no one explained it to them. In fact I
can almost guarantee it. I did have coaches that showed me their favorite
techniques, the techniques they knew, the best techniques of the day etc.
Obviously it served me pretty well over the years but it leaves that same
problem, how to solve new and dynamic problems that come at you at extreme
speeds. 

As I’ve coached my wrestling club athletes and others I’ve made efforts to
pick up where others left off or missed completely. I figure if we talk about
wrestling and the grappling arts in general as being 90% mental why don’t we
actually train that way? Why do we spend so much time improving our physical
attributes while our mind and problem solving muscles get the day off?

When athletes join my club they get exposed to next level thinking. I ask
questions and make them come up with solutions. We walk through slow motion
matches and scenarios. I show them how a match should play out under xyz
circumstances. 

I help my athletes understand there is more to wrestling than just a
hodge-podge of techniques. For many of them it has brought great breakthroughs
in their development that they were unable to find elsewhere. We often talk
through situations and scenarios involving the score and how points were created
and then what is the best choice of position and the reasoning behind it. I’ve
had the good fortune to have trained under Olympic champions and they never
taught in the way that I’m describing. 

What I ultimately want an athlete to achieve is a higher level of problem
solving. I want them to be able to look at the game differently from a 10,000
feet view. This helps them gain a greater appreciation of the skills they do
have while learning more about how they can personally have success. This is
ultimately how true confidence, or self trust, is developed. Athletes cannot
truly be confident without a greater perspective and understanding of what it is
they are to accomplish and how to do so. 

Take a look at your current training and outlook towards competition and
determine how you can become a better problem solver. As you develop solutions
you will ultimately have more success as an athlete or coach. Start small by
taking the first 5-10 minutes of your technical training and devote it to coming
up with “What if…” questions and solutions. Some simple questions worth
considering are:

If you’re taken down in the first period and ridden for the rest of it
without giving up near fall points what is the best option if given your choice
of position in the second period and why?

How would you comeback from a 3 point deficit starting the third period?

What would you do to counter a single leg?

What if you were up by 1 with 30 seconds left? How do you proceed?

These are simple questions and you may already have worked on a few or some
similar to them. As you get more comfortable you can start asking more detailed
and tougher questions like these:

What if you’re opponent has just taken you down and gained near fall and
you’re now down by 4 points. You have not scored from the feet but you were able
to control him on top from a reversal you scored in the second period. Where
would you most likely be able to score points next? How can you bring back the
points to even and either; win or put it into overtime?

What if you’ve just scored a takedown with 30 seconds left to tie the score.
Letting your opponent up would mean that he gains 1 point but if you take
him down you can win now. If you can ride for 30 seconds you can put it
into overtime and have a chance to win in overtime. What do you do? How will you do it? What are the potential risks and potential rewards? Which option gives you the
best chance of winning according to your own skill set?

As you begin to add more detail and insert personal strengths and limitations
you begin to see the problem more clearly and a more realistic and attainable
solution begins to present itself. This is how real and lasting confidence is
developed and this is how champions are made. If you do this I can guarantee
that you’ll start having much more success than you are now.