Seminar Schedule

A few people have e-mailed me asking about my seminar schedule for the remainder of the year. I will post it here - but I am sure Web-legend geoff will get it up on the site sometime during the next week or so. On another note - i am unsure if many people are reading these logs - but for those who are, please forgive my spelling errors - i am not bothering to spell-check or go over what I am writing. it will only ever be quick thoughts, quick typing - and the shocking typos that go with that process. all the best - JBW

Sept 2nd - Adelaide: Darren Cartwright
Sept 3rd - Perth: Steve Stevenson
Sept 3rd - Perth: Mike Holmes
Sept 3rd - Perth: Paul Marsden
Sept 4th - Perth: Adam Metcalf
Sept 4th - Perth: Troy Flugge
Sept 30th - Canberra: Danny Weir
Oct 1st - Canberra: Australian Defence Forces
Oct 7th - Gold Coast: David MacDonald
Oct 8th - Brisbane: Matt Cooper
Oct 22nd - Woolongong: Rob Bowen
Oct 22nd - Sutherland: Mick Spinks
Oct 23rd - Penrith: Steve Perceval
Oct 23rd - Liverpool: Fari Salievski
Nov 4th - Bargo: David Suker
Nov 5th - Campbelltown: Michael Scott
Nov 5th - Fari Salievski
Nov 6th - Manly nth: Anthony Lange
Nov 6th - Kingsgrove: Luke Pezzutti
Nov 26th - Auckland: Mike Fooks
Nov 26th - Auckland: Mike Gent
Nov 27th - Auckland: Glen tarrant
Nov 27th - Hamilton: Ian Waite/Paula Ludwicki
Nov 28th - Napier: Shayne Cox
Nov 30th - Wellington: Police Academy Defensive Tactics Unit
Nov 30th - Wellington: Geoff Grant
Dec 2nd - Christchurch: Geoff Aitken

Critical Moments

Someone asked me today about how they could go about improving their ability to escape from the bottom - in particular, when under an oponent' side control. One bit of advice i offered was the concept of identifying the 'critical moment' - that is, that 'pivota;' moment, whgen things are about to take a decided 'turn for the worse'. If you can begin to identify these moments, and become adept at making finer and finer distinctions as to when things are about to reach 'a point of no return' - then you will have also begin to identify those moments when you need to 'switch into overdrive' and give it all you've got. This can really make a big difference in your performance. Start to take a close look, at say, the next five or sic times your guard is passed - start to identify those points where you know it is just about to get 'really bad' - then next time you 'reach that point' , go harder, go into overdrive - give it that extra 10% - and you might well begin to turn half or more of those moments into good moments and not bad ones.
Anyways - food for thought - i hope it helps some of you out.

Good training -

JBW

Learning ....

Last night, Bob Bass gave a basic seminar at Riff Mustaffa's Albion BJJ academy in melbourne. Sadly, riff was pretty ill with the flu and couldn't get on the mat himself. bob is giving two more seminars today at Dominance jiu Jitsu academy in Richmond, before flying to Sydney to teach at steve percevals place in penrith on Sunday. Then it's a few days of surfing and fun in Sydney for him before he heads to Matt Coopers place in brisbane.
A note to all attending seminars: my advice, is to take some control of what you are getting and how detailed yo get the info bu asking the right questions. if you just sit back quietly, the the person teaching the seminar will more often than not, just give you whetever they feel like teaching - it may or may not be relevent, there may be too much or too little detail - so to make it relevent to where you are and what you are thinking, you need to let the instructor know.
I have seen very high level people, just turn up and teach bridging escape, because they couldn't be bothered with the thinking and effort involved in finding out where the students were at ... it is a sad sight to see purple belts doing bridging escape - and paying $70 for it - when the visitng instructor clearly has so much more to offer.

professional instructors have a duty to assess the level of the participants and deliver, as best they can, at that level - the students though, should also be self-responsible with their own learning and ask questions that are have personal relevance. to some degree, the students can often direct the course, tempo and content of any given lesson.

best wishes to all - keep the training fun, safe and rewarding.
JBW

new Purple

A new purple belt was awarded to Shayne Cox of Napier this evening. I awarded Shayne his new rank during the advanced BJJ class at my school , here in Geelong. Shayne is an outstanding contributor to the new Zeland BJJ scene - and it was with great pleasure that I made the presentation. Well done Shayne - you are well on your way to being a technical grappler.
JBW

Thanks for the thanks ....

A day off! A couple of private lessons to do this morning - then I have a day off till class this evening. Which i am looking forward to. So I'll take this chance to thank all those people who have sent me e-mails thanking me for a great tournament. i appreciate all your e-mails and kind words of appreciation - but evryone has to know, that it was a team effort that made all this happen. So i would again like to thank everyone in return; those who helped, those who came, those who competed and those who spectated.
The various teams from interstate and overseas were fantastic. What an effort! it is great to have you all here - and a pleasure to have many of you on my mat this week. our novice BJJ class last night had thirty three people in it - crowded, but a lot of fun. See yuo again this evening.
So take care - and good training to all.
JBW

Comp is done for '05!

The nationals went off without a hitch. No serious injuries and the day finished 1/2 hour over schedule - 4:30pm. With four mats running perfectly, and the draw, and time schedules for each division and each mat, up on a wall for all to see - the whole event was so streamlined that we literally cut several hours off the usual time.
I shall post results and some pics over the next day or two.
Visitin guest from LA, Bob Bass, just finished two seminars at my Geelong School; one for white belts and the other for blues and higher. I think everyone had a great time - i know i did! he will be running another session this friday evening at Albion BJJ, followed by two more big sessions at Dominance jiu Jitsu in richmond o Saturday. After that he will be heading toi Sydney (sunday) to hold a session at Steve percevals Gym in Penrith. And a session at matt Coopers school in brisbane - the following weekend. Do NOT miss out on the opportunity to train with the World's first non Brazilian BJJ Black Belt!
my sincere thanks to all who helped my organize the event - especially, John Brown, Pete Ruggerri, the amazing team of refs - and my wonderful wife melissa (who incidentally, does the work of ten men! - Without our women guys, seriously, how diffferent our lives would be. We need to appreciater them more fully - at least i do!!
And visiting guests from interstate and overseas (new Zealand) - thanks for the great support and show of solidarity. What a fantastic effort to come and be a part of this day.
Good training to all - i need to play with my family for a few hours.
best wishes,
JBW

Bob Bass Arrives

hello all,
just asiting down for a minutes rest before heading out to start setting up for tomorrow's competition. bob BAss arrived safely today from Los Angeles and with a belly full of food, is about to crash for the night. he is looking forward to the comp tomorrow and to teaching at the Geelong Academy on Sunday.
i wish everyone well if they are competing - and everyone a safe journey if they are coming here from afar (new Zealand and interstate).
Time to go - if I get a chance tomorrow evening - i will give a rundown on the days event.
best wishes,
JBW

On the day entries

ANNOUNCEMENT:
An executive decision has just been made - it has been decided that we will allow entries for the competition at the door,on the day, for our national Championships. But please - if you have the bulk (or all) of your team organized - then PLEASE still send me the forms/payments. But any stragglers will be accepted on the day - provided that they are at the door by 10am at the latest. They will need to have their forms filled in and payment ready in hand.

Many thanks to those who have organized their teams and already sent forms in - this will help our draw tremendously. Kids will start at 10am - and adults at 12noon sharp! With four mats going - and the draws all up on the wall for people to see - the day should go smoothly.

Thanks again,
Best wishes,

John Will

bring it on ...

It seems the ice-demons have come to visit. yesterday it was the first time in recorded Australian history that snow was falling at sea-level. The cold wiped a few people from the mat - as we had only about a dozen hard core attend the advanced (blue belt and higher) BJJ class at my school in geelong. Sometimes, life (and weather) makes the decision to leave our armchair at home and get to the mat, a difficult one - but in my experience, those determined few who make their way anyways, depsite hail, rain, sleet or snow always seem to emerge far better for the effort after class is done. Attaining any goal is always a series of small steps - every step counts as much as the ones that preceed and follow it - don't let bad weather or a bad day interfere with something so great, empowering, technical and fun as our martial arts practice.
JBW

Pain Compliance

Please do not expect me to relate all the funny moments that I experience on this blog - however, this one, is fairly frsh off the press and, to my mind at least, was very funny.
I was teaching some pain compliance removal techniques at the Wellington police academy last week - and I had one of the Diplomatic Protection Squad members pinning someone down in Side Control - when the guy underneath let out a whelp of pain. I asked if he was okay - when the DPS operator disengaged and noticed he had a kinda fat pen in his overalls - this pen, being jammed into the sternum of the guy underneath is what led to the nasty surpise - but the greater surpise came when he looked at me, holding the pen and sheepinshly decalred 'ha - now that's Pen Compliance!' hey - I thought it was funny - who said that DPS guys akk has their sense of humor surgically removed in training ?

JBW

Thanks for your feedback ...

thanks to all those people in new Zealand who took time to send me e-mails after my visit. i think i have replied to everyone. Your positive and wonderful feedback is greatly appreciated, as was your hospitality. i look forward to my returning visit in november.
Just gearing up for the Nationals which are in ten days time. i will be doing the draw midway through next week - in the hope that this will significantly speed up the process on the day. trophies and sponsorship prize-packs are all done - and are even better this year. I am looking forward to the day - but have to admit that i'll be releived when it is over. loads of work behind the scenes. Bob Bass (machado's first Black belt) is keen to make his first visit downunder - and I assure everyone, you are in for a treat. He is a wealth of knowledge! I better take a shave - get the kit on and get to class here in geelong. i think we ahve a guest coming to train from South Africa tonight - he's coming over for two weeks training - I doubt he was prepared for this shocking weather though. take care all - arms, in, chins tucked down and balance where it should be!

john

BJJ Nationals on track

All is proceeding well for the upcoming nationals. we have teams coming from all states as well as new Zealand. it should be our best yet - with an earlier start to the day and pre-registration allowing for the draw to be done well prior to the 20th August. Bob bass's visit from the states is all organized - and he is looking forward (as am I) to running the sundasy sessions at my school in Geelong, after the competition. if anyone is planning on competing, and has not yet registered, make sure to have your forms handed over to your instructor this week - for collation and posting by weeks end.
best wsihes to everyone,

John B Will