Review and Mindmap: Gracie Barra Fundamentals 2.0 Weeks 1 & 2
Gracie Barra has updated their Fundamentals Curriculum to the new version 2.0. This 16 week program was designed by GB black belts, Ricardo Almeida and Marcio Feitosa. The lessons are broken down into 16 weeks of training that is repeated through out the year. The techniques are a combination of self defense, sport jiu-jitsu and MMA. This program is intended to provide a solid foundation for the beginner as he moves towards obtaining his blue belt.
In this series of articles we’ll be breaking down the full curriculum of Gracie Barra Fundamentals 2.0. The content is available from iTunes and on-demand for all mobile devices, tablets and PCs. The Fundamentals set consists of 4 apps, each covering 4 weeks of their fundamentals curriculum for a total of 16 weeks of lessons. The apps range in price from $9.99 to $14.99 and are available from iTunes. If you’re using the on-demand feature the instruction is broken down by week and is available for $2.99 each with unlimited viewing for the year. Each article will cover 2 weeks of the curriculum. The mindmap is available to download as a PDF just below the tags section of the post.
Gi Review: Hyperfly A4 by Do or Die
Intro:
Do Or Die has gotten quite a bit of air time lately due to their sponsorship of Xande Ribeiro, arguably the top BJJ player in the world, and also because they are expanding their line to include limited edition gis and clothes for men, women and youth. They’ve billed their Hyperfly gi as the perfect gi. Upcoming limited editions include the California edition and the NYC.
Per Do Or Die:
Your battle will be here before you know it. It’s time to get yourself ready for combat and show the world you know what DO OR DIE is all about….YOU CAN’T TEACH HEART
The gi has some notable features (spandex gusset for one), a very clean look and premium construction. But is it really the best gi ever…
Gi Review: Redstar Stamp A2L
Intro:
Redstar is a Canadian based gi company that has been focused on making high-quality gis for competitors of every size. Their flagship gi, the Stamp, is available in three colors (grey, white and navy blue) and nine different sizes. Redstar was one of the first gi companies to make gis specifically for the taller and leaner athlete and their experience really shows. Egor has recently expanded their lineup to include fight shorts, belts and t-shirts.
The Stamp is a lightweight, competition style gi consisting of a 450g pearl weave jacket and 12oz cotton pants. The collar is EVA foam filled and the “L” models are specially cut for a slimmer build and longer arms.
Review and Mindmap: Modern Jiu Jitsu - Closed Guard
In the words of the man himself, “Modern Jiu Jitsu, as my DVD illustrates, isn’t new jiu jitsu just a better way to do the things we have always been doing. We aren’t reinventing the wheel, we are using better application of technique to make the wheel better.” Caio Terra
Caio Terra’s Modern Jiu Jitsu series was released earlier this year to almost universal praise, also here. The set contains 4 discs and covers: closed guard, mount, turtle, back control, butterfly guard, standing passes, takedowns, side control, north-south and half-guard. The full set comes in at just over 5 hours and there are iTunes apps for the Closed Guard, Mount, Turtle and Back. Apps covering the other positions are in production with a release date sometime before Christmas of this year.
Gi Review: Oniwakamaru by Muae Wear
Intro:
What do you do when not only are you and your brother avid BJJ players but are also involved in the family business of fabric and fashion design? Easy, peezy start a new gi company of course. Kaden of Mueawear has promised to deliver simple and functional gis that will continue to be pleasing to both the eye and the body. Founded earlier this year in Seoul Korea, Muae currently offers only a single limited edition gi, the Oniwakamaru, but plans are in place for more gis as well as a full line of fightwear and clothing.
The Oniwakamaru features stunning interior artwork that is printed directly on the inside of the gi. This kimono comes with all the features you’d expect from a high-end gi and few you may not have seen before such as ripstop lining in the lower half of the gi. High-quality construction and excellent customer service combine to make this an attractive gi.
Datsusara Hemp Combat Gi Review
Datsusara Hemp Combat Gi (HCG-03) Review
"This is a decent gi. It feels like it can withstand the wear and tear of being a daily gi, without feeling like a suit of armor."
This is my second go at this company's gi. Just as before I really like this companie's vision and mission statement. As this is their second gi that I'm reviewing, I can't help but compare the two.
At first unpacking I quickly noticed the color of the gi. With out being loud or obnoxious, it manages to stand out with its own unique shade of blue. There is no mistaking it for any other gi on the market. On their first gi, they had a black logo on a black gi, but no one knew it was there because you couldn't see it. On this edition, the logo stands out without being huge.
Tatami Flex Rashguard and Atom Fight Shorts Review
Intro:
Tatami Fightwear was founded in the United Kingdom in 2009 and in three short years have become one of the premier brands for Brazilian jiu jitsu gis and submission grappling gear. Tatami has a reputation for putting out quality products at reasonable prices and are continually expanding their product line as the needs of their customers evolve.
Their latest additions include the Flex Rashguard and Atom Series of NoGi board shorts. The Atom shorts are available in Black/Yellow and Black/White with reinforced stitching and fully embroidered logos. The Flex rashguard, currently only in yellow/black but white/black will be available soon, is the same as the one worn recently by Pablo Popovitch (picture above in the short-sleeve version) at the IBJJF NoGi Pans and has features that I’ve never seen before in a rashguard.
Be sure to check out the full review for a 15% off promo code.
BJJ Lifestyles Tuxedo Rashguard Review
Intro:
“Daddy, that’s what you wear when you wanna be fancy” Lilly Corley, kindergartener and BJJ fashion expert.
There are times when we take ourselves (a little too) seriously and then there are times when we just want to have fun. Hell, there may even be times when an impromptu roll may break out in the middle of a black tie dinner. For those of you that have ever found themselves in either of the latter two situations here’s a rashguard for you, the BJJ Lifestyles’ Tuxedo Rashguard. Conveniently offered in traditional black, blue, powder blue, orange and with or without cumber bun. With so many options surely you can find just the right rashguard for your next formal event (if it’s good enough for Brian Wilson it’s good enough for me).
BJJ Lifestyles is the company that is responsible for the BJJ rank belts that can be worn with jeans as well as a full line of t-shirts, hoodies and other clothing. Be sure to get out the full review for a 15% off coupon code.
Ezra Lenon: IBJJF 2012 No-Gi Pans Medium-Heavy Weight
Pablo Popovitch entered the 2012 NoGi Pan Ams as a favorite to win not only his weight class but also the open weight division. On Pablo's side of the bracket were Abmar Barbosa and first time Pan Ams competitor, Ezra Lenon. Pablo had a 1st round bye and popular opinion was that his first match would be against Abmar and then after the inevitable win Pablo would continue on to win the gold. In what was the biggest upset of the tournament Ezra Lenon defeated Popovitch 2 - 0 after beating Barbosa 10 minutes earlier.
BJJ Legends: Tell me a little about yourself and your training history:
Ezra Lenon: Started training in 2006 with Zack (Ezra’s older brother). He was a blue belt at time and taught me a lot of my fundamentals. After that I moved to Columbia, MO because American Top Team had the only black belts in the area. I trained under Kiko France and stayed there until they closed and I moved to St Louis a little over 2 years ago to teach at Finney’s MMA. In February of 2011 Zack and I both got our black belts from Kiko. At Finney’s I’m teaching classes 5 days a week to kids and adults. I’ve got 70 or so students between all the classes. My older brothers both train BJJ, Zack’s a black belt under Kiko and Levi is a purple belt under Scott Huston.
BJJ: How’d you manage to get your black belt so fast?
Ezra: I pretty much lived at Top Team. I was completely obsessed with training; I’d be there twice a day, six or seven days a week. I still train that much with conditioning a couple times a week, drilling two or three times a week and rolling daily with my students.
BJJ: When you saw the brackets and realized that you had two of the top guys in the world your bracket what were you thinking?
Ezra: Very excited. I couldn’t wait to test myself against this level of competition. I’m always looking to test myself and I’ve been following Pablo pretty much since I began training and knew that no matter what happened it’d be a good match up for me and would be a good match to watch. Also really excited about the absolute division but that didn’t work out because of my knee.
Datsusara 100% Hemp Gi Review
Review of the Datsusara HCG-03, the only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu kimono made of 100% hemp
Intro:
Datsusara is a gear company based out of California that specializing in making products out of hemp. They offer kimonos, gi belts, gear bags and clothing all made from 100% hemp. I was fortunate to be able to review their Hemp Combat Gi (HCG-03). There battlepack backpacks have gotten rave reviews from other bloggers such as Brendan at Gi Reviews.net and Seymour "Meerkatsu" Yang (including some awesome pictures of his kids inside the bag).
Datsusara is a Japanese phrase meaning "to leave the salaried/corporate worker's life". Chris K. Odell founded Datsusara in 2007 because, as an avid sports participant (in Mixed Martial Arts), he couldn't find gear that met his needs. Datsusara has a singular goal, to make truly functional, high quality gear. The Datsusara lifestyle means spending more of your time doing the things you love to do, and Datsusara is here to supply the gear.
Right out of the bag I could tell that this gi was something unique. This is the first unbleached gi that I've ever owned and also the first that is not made out of traditional materials (cotton). The impression that I got when picking it up and examining the gi was that of a heavy linen shirt and pants; the pants especially look and feel like linen. The weave of the kimono and pant both highlight the natural fiber characteristics of hemp.