Rashguard Review: XMartial Pokemon Evo

Short Review: A colourful, well-fitting rashguard with a broad range of sizes, though I found that it does tend to ride up more than others I've worn. You can currently buy the rashguard for $45 from the main XMartial website. 

Full Review: As I've mentioned before, it is rare that I do reviews these days, both because I tend to be busy with Artemis BJJ, along with the mild bipolar thing I have going on. However, when I got an email from XMartial and saw their Pokemon design, I couldn't resist a rashguard that colourful. I asked if it was officially licensed (surprisingly often not the case, in my experience), to which XMartial replied they had written approval from The Pokemon Company, who are the copyright holders for all things pokemon. 

I was a little old for pokemon when it first came out, but I remember playing some of the original games: as I can recognise most of the characters, it looks like XMartial have mostly stuck with the classic selection, rather than the numerous updates. 

XMartial was founded in the US by Joe Gosselin, a brown belt with a decade of BJJ experience. The company dates back to 2016, with a number of sponsored athletes on its books. The best known to the BJJ community is probably Roxanne Modafferi, who has been around both BJJ and MMA for many years and well known for both her impressive skills and cheerful disposition. There are also guys like Breck Still, who often pops up on r/BJJ and elsewhere with instructional vids from his Leviathan Academy. 

The rashguard is made in China, the main alternative to Pakistan (the same is true for gi production). A majority of rashguards tend to be a combination of polyester with either spandex or lycra. In the case of the Pokemon Evo, it's 90% polyester and 10% spandex, which is a fairly standard mix. By comparison, the BJJ Globetrotter rashguards I have are 85% polyester and 15% spandex, while Gamma Fightwear went for 80% polyester and 20% lycra. I found that the Pokemon Evo was a good fit on me (for reference, I'm 170cm/5'7" and around 68kg), though the sizing is unusual. With other rashguard companies, I wear a Medium. 

For XMartial, when I sent over my measurements, they suggested an XS. It's comfortable, in terms of the chest and armpits (two of the potential problem areas for rashguards). The thickness is in keeping with most other rashguards I've worn, to which my BJJ Globetrotters rashguards are the main exception. They are notably heftier, which makes them a great choice for Winter training. 

The only disadvantage I could find with the Pokemon Evo is that it does ride up if you raise your arms, or at least the XS size does so on my body. That's mainly due to length. I prefer a rashguard with plenty of length, to prevent the riding up issue, especially as I'll often wear rashguards for kettlebell workouts and the like. 

Hence why I'm a fan of Gamma Fightwear (sadly no longer operational) and Valor (where I go for my club rashguards), as both of them have fairly long Medium. The other useful addition to prevent riding up is anti-slip waistband. That's present on both the BJJ Globetrotters and Gamma Fightwear rashguards, where the waistband is elasticated and also has small ridges to try and keep it in place. 

The XMartial waistband is elasticated, but it's smooth, so I found it less effective at preventing riding up. The XS is also shorter than the Medium I was contrasting it against, unsurprisingly (it would be interesting to compare the XMartial version of a Medium), which again means it is more prone to riding up. The sleeve cuffs are tight, which I prefer, as that means they stay in place, without being so tight that it's difficult to take on and off (like the one I have from Raven Fightwear). 

XMartial offer their Pokemon design in various formats, with options for longsleeve, shortsleeve, men's fit, women's fit and a kid's size. The size range is extensive, with the XMartial men's size chart running from 55kg and 160cm all the way up to 110kg and 200cm, meaning all but the most atypical body types should be catered for. You can currently buy the rashguard for $45 from the main XMartial website.

Gi Review - Tatami Hokori (Tatami Fightwear)

Short Review: Comfortable, clean design and affordable, this is the entry level gi I recommend to my students. If you've liked previous editions of Tatami beginner gis, then this should appeal to you too. Available for around £60 on the Tatami website, you can also find them in the usual places like Amazon.

Full Review: Since I started my BJJ club, it's become increasingly difficult to make time for reviews. Hence why I do so few now, as they take me aaaaages. This is therefore likely to be the last gi review I do for the foreseeable future (though I can still get my students to review gis for me, which is what I've done a few times when people were especially keen to send me something). I'll finish on a high, as the Tatami Hokori is an excellent gi from an excellent company.

I have long recommended the Tatami Nova to my students, as it's a reliable entry level gi. Tatami gis tend to shrink a fair bit if you're not careful, but that's easy to avoid by sticking to 30 degree Celsius washes. The Nova has since been replaced by the Hokori as Tatami's entry level option, hence why I was interested in checking it out. If I'm going to keep recommending Tatami to my students, it makes sense to have a good understanding of their budget offering.

The gi originally arrived at my house in January 2018. Out of the box, the jacket had a wingspan (sleeve cuff to sleeve cuff) of 159cm, while the shoulder to hem measurement was 81cm. The trousers were 95cm long. After the first 30 degrees celsius wash, the wingspan shrunk to 153cm, while the shoulder to hem dropped only slightly to 80cm. The trousers became 92cm. A year's worth of washing later, almost all at 30 degrees (there were a few 40 degree celsius, mostly when I was dyeing it silly colours :D), my Hokori measurements now stand at wingspan 147cm, shoulder to hem 79cm and trousers 90cm.

In terms of feel, the Hokori is similar to the Nova and the Sub Zero. I no longer have a Nova, but by comparison to the SubZero (which I do still own), the weave is not quite as tight. It is also slightly heavier (1.3kg, compared to the SubZero's 1.2kg), which possibly is why it feels thicker and more difficult to fold into a tight package. Branding is restrained, no shoulder patches (one of the few bling elements I'm still not keen on, I've embraced just about everything else). This year I also pulled my SubZero out of retirement and gave it a new lick of dye, meaning the comparison is apt at the moment.

The reinforcements on the trousers are distinct from most other trousers I've seen previously. Rather than the standard rectangle, the extra material reinforcing the Tatami Hokori trousers has a diagonal cut at the top and bottom. It's an unusual design feature, demonstrating that Tatami are continuing to try and innovate rather than simply repackaging old gis under a new name.

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I can happily continue recommending Tatami Fightwear to my students, as this is another solid gi from the pre-eminent UK gi company. I like to come up with at least one disadvantage, but after over a year of wearing this regularly, I can't think of any. I suppose it isn't as light as my travel gis, but then that's not it's intended purpose. In terms of a regular training gi, for beginners on a budget this is tough to beat. Available for around £60 on the Tatami website, you can also find them in the usual places, like Amazon.

Video Review - Precise Pressure Passing (Paul Schreiner)

Short Review: A densely packed instructional from Digitsu, featuring Paul Schreiner's famously detailed instruction. The teaching flows through from the first technique, presenting a narrative sequence of the kind of things that could happen when you try and pass the guard.

Schreiner begins by opening closed guard, progressing into passing half guard. He then presents a scenario where they have managed to insert a single butterfly hook, before dealing with full butterfly guard. The bulk of the passing is done from those three positions. Available from Digitsu for a very reasonable $25, or slightly more if you want a DVD version.

Full Review: Paul Schreiner is a highly regarded instructor teaching at the Marcelo Garcia Academy in New York. In this app from Digitsu, he focuses on guard passing, mostly built around the situations that can arise from butterfly guard. Each video finishes with a replay from multiple angles. Schreiner always wears a white gi, his drilling partner stays in black. It surprises me how many instructionals don't do that: it's important to be able to distinguish between limbs and grips. Another big plus point to Digitsu instructionals is that they can be downloaded for later viewing, either on your phone or from the website version.

I encountered some minor technical issues with that, as if I don't first log into the Digitsu app on my phone with an internet connection, then I get an error message. Still, as long as I log in first, I can access videos I've previously downloaded (it is also entirely possible this is an issue specific to my phone: checking with Digitsu, they should be there for around a month before you need to refresh with the server). There is a chapter list detailing each technique, enabling you to jump straight to the one you're looking for. To see that menu, rotate your phone to portrait, then for a maximised view of the video, rotate to landscape. There is a browser version too, meaning you can view the videos on a larger screen. Any purchases you make through Digitsu will be sat in your library, so you can access them anywhere as long as you have an internet connection.

The instructional begins with a two minute introduction. Schreiner quickly fills in his background, then emphasises his concept that pressure passing can connect to all the other elements of your passing game. Precise Pressure Passing starts where you might expect, in the closed guard (a little under five minutes). This is somewhat different to what I've been shown in the past in terms of opening, as Schreiner's head remains forward (I'm more familiar with a more upright position, as if you're weightlifting, avoiding eye contact to maintain posture).

Apart from that, it's a relatively standard motion where you shove their leg down and immediately bring your knee over the top of their shin. I am used to then kicking back and going to side control, but Schreiner prefers to drive straight through into mount. He secures a solid grip on the head, then his other leg comes back and pushes through. When I tried teaching it earlier this year, it looked as though most of the students got the motion down ok.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Jan 3, 2017 at 9:46pm PST

There is a clear progression through the passes, so closed guard is followed by a half guard knee slice (five and a half minutes), providing a plan B if that drive for mount is thwarted. I taught this one just before christmas last year, finding that it provided an intriguing new option for passing. Rather than worrying too much about an underhook, the focus here is on dominating the near side arm. With enough control, that can be the basis of a pass, crushing it into the mat so they cannot spin to your back. An underhook is still useful, but as Schreiner points out, you could theoretically pass with just that arm control. A key point is getting the hips to stay over the mat, which initially feels counter-intuitive. I'm not sure if I'll be using this regularly, but I found what I'm calling the 'arm squash pass' useful because it feels quite different to what I would normally do to pass half guard, without being overly complicated.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Dec 19, 2016 at 4:33am PST

Schreiner then moves into a general discussion of the layers of half guard defence (a little over seven minutes). I would have expected this to come before the previous video, but presumably that was still treated as part of the passing closed guard section that kicked off the instructional. Either way, the layers video was the highlight of the instructional for me. Schreiners gives the viewer a broad approach to getting past the half guard, discussing the obstacles you might encounter, especially how to prevent them making space. Getting head control is a major part of that, pummelling in. If you can't use your arms, you have to use your hip instead.

It might mean you have to step over to the other side and pass from there. If that still isn't working, Schreiner suggests moving back around to the other side. Another possibility is that your opponent is trying to get underneath, into deep half. Schreiner explains his deep half passing at around the five and a half minute mark into the video (which I taught last December, a handily simple way to pass the deep half). That all combines into a flowing sequence, which Schreiner suggests you could do as a drill. This time, there is no replay: it felt as if all the good info in here could have been split into multiple videos, but I can see the argument for keeping it as a single flowing sequence too. That fits with the style of the MGinAction videos I watched when I review that site a while back.

Up next, Schreiner delves into shoulder pressure principles (four minutes). He switches gears in order to describe those principles, showing how they apply from side control rather than when passing half guard. Schreiner demonstrates how you can generate so much pressure that it can be used as a submission, all his weight pressing into the neck (a similar principle to some breadcutter type chokes, where you're relying a lot on driving your forearm into the side of their neck). Schreiner emphasises that while it can be a submission, often your opponent will lift their hips instead to relieve pressure, giving you a route to mount.

Returning to half guard, the twisting half guard pass (slightly more than seven minutes) replays the sequence from the beginning, where they manage to snatch half guard after you open the closed guard. Schreiner applies that same shoulder pressure to progress into a twisting half guard pass. Having a powerful control of their head provides options for passing, though as Schreiner warns, be careful of their bump (my class just before we closed for christmas focused on this pass, hence all the cheesy snowmen and holly in the video ;D). Schreiner does not grab the leg and pull, instead he uses his elbow to wriggle their leg off, prying his knee free while maintaining his pressure. He then drives the knee through, secures an underhook, using that to squeeze his way into mount.

The next video adds in some details, using neck control (six minutes). This time, the aim is to drive their knee to the mat, getting your head next to theirs, lots of shoulder pressure. The knee drives through from that position, either progressing into the previous pass. The twist in this case is having the knees in one direction, the head in the other. Schreiners comments that this pass is best suited to nogi, reaching under the head and grabbing their neck. He rolls the head across and drives the shoulder, which Schreiner states can be used in lots of other passing sequences. He emphasises the importance of discomfort, something which is significant in that supine twist.

Just under five minutes is then devoted to passing versus deep half. If you know they like deep half, you'll need to be wary of them digging space underneath. Blocking their arm is an initial option, putting your arm in the way so they can no longer reach. Schreiner rolls his hip across, other arm out for base. His leg kicks back and hooks to secure his position. At this point, you could do the previous technique, or kick your non hooking leg to free it. That then sweeps back, progressing to mount. There is a lot of fine detail to most of these passes, meaning that it could be difficult for a beginner decipher.

Next up, Schreiner talks about passing versus lockdown (five and a half minutes). He highlights the importance of getting a nearside underhook so they can't reach under your legs. Roll your trapped leg hip to the floor, slapping your leg to the mat. Your other foot lifts their heel up, in order to bring your previously trapped leg underneath. Alternatively, your free leg slides all the way down and hooks their leg, lifting it up and away to prevent the lockdown being secured.

The rest of the instructional is heavily focused on butterfly and its variations. There are six half butterfly passes, then four full butterfly passes. If you are not regularly dealing with butterfly, that's a lot of content. However, if you are - as I assume is the case at the Marcelo Garcia Academy and other schools/competitions - this is exactly what you're looking for. The first pass (six minutes) talks initially about controlling an arm, but only if you can keep their shoulders flat. If you don't have sufficient control of the arm, then you need to remove their ability to lift by grabbing the non-hooking leg. Balancing on your head and leg, when they try to sweep, you just pull that leg, then if they try to recover guard, push it. The grip is important here, so in my case, I'd need to make sure my fingers were well-taped before using that one. ;)

Another six minutes explores a different perspective on dealing with the half butterfly. It could be you shoot into the previous passing position against a standard butterfly, as you're confident with that pass. Schreiner highlights the position he wants with his shoulder and head, then how you can slide through from that tripod structure to beat their leg. Getting control of their arm is important for the finish, securing side control. The third option against half butterfly is a folding pass (three and a half minutes). When you try to kick of their hook this time, they follow you, meaning their knee has to follow too. In that situation, Schreiner brings his knee into the back of their leg, tucking your other toes under. The end goal here is to move up into mount.

The classic knee slice can apply against half butterfly too, which Schreiner shows for three and a half minutes. His leg drives forward then cuts in, sliding across into a knee slide style motion. However, he doesn't continue to slide into side control, instead adjusting to drive into mount instead. I wasn't sure what to expect from half butterfly reverse underhook (a little under five minutes), as I wasn't sure what the non-reverse version would look like, but that's just a matter of terminology.

The jumping leg drag (four and a half minutes) is what Schreiner calls this a 'rescue move', such as when you're against somebody with very long legs. They also might manage to get some kind of x-guard, pushing you back and removing your strong shoulder control. Schreiner suggests an acrobatic kick, flinging your body over to the other side. If that introduces too much space for an adept guard player, he tries to land directly into a leg drag, his thigh tight against the back of their leg. That provides a little more security than attempting to drop right into side control.

Getting to full butterfly (six and a half minutes), he starts with a body lock, elbows to knees and everything tight. He kicks a hook free by bringing his leg back, then brings the other leg over their knee. A quick push with the knees shoves their legs across, whereupon you release the body lock and progress to side control. Unlike the half butterfly material, this is something I'm familiar with. If they underhook, sag your arm down to be heavy, then do the same pass again. You might even be able to do a big step to beat his knee, then wriggle through into mount. Should they get double underhooks, get your head to their chest, dropping your armpits to flop heavily down. The other passes are then viable, or even just walking around because their arms are occupied.

Butterfly pass number two (slightly over six and a half minutes) starts by getting their back flat on the mat. This time, you're stepping over the knee, hooking it, then wriggling forwards into mount. The third pass (four and a half minutes) is from the same situation, again clearing their knee and hooking it. However, this time they manage to keep their other hook high, releasing to establish a half guard. Schreiner rolls his hip down and pushes the leg down, connecting back to some of the earlier passes. The section finishes with a particularly long video on a butterfly folding pass (almost ten minutes).

This is one of the other passes I've tried teaching several times now, as I liked the principle. You squat on their shins in a butterfly type position, squashing their legs, while securing your position by grabbing their lapels. You're still upright, using gravity to your advantage. If they mess up, you might be able to slide directly to mount. Normally they'll be wise to that, so you're waiting to get a knee to cross the centre line. As soon as it does, collapse your weight on top, pinning their legs together. The basic concept is straightforward enough, which Schreiner then connects with previous passes.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Feb 13, 2017 at 4:34am PST

Preventing one leg x takes slightly over five minutes. This can happen from what I call the leg sit pass, which Schreiner refers to as a folding pass. With too much space, they might be able to enter into single-leg x. That's another position I rarely encounter, so my frame of reference for it is hazy. However, what Schreiner said about having multiple gripping patterns for upper body control in passes made sense. He gave the example that if you can't get shoulder pressure, you could instead drive your head under their chin, holding the back of their collar.

The penultimate technique is passing shin-to-shin guard. Schreiner's scenario is that you've stood up from butterfly guard to gain mobility and speed. They respond by moving into shin to shin guard. As with butterfly guard, the response is to drive their back flat on the mat, then getting that powerful shoulder pressure like before. There is some similarity with half butterfly here, trying to kick the leg off in order to slide through.

Finally, unable to prevent one leg x, Schreiner spends five and a half minutes passing one-leg x. He turns his knee in, pushes their hooking foot, then puts his hand behind his leg. It looks unusual, but the idea is to block their hip with that arm. They have control of your foot, so you can't mount until you get that back. Sometimes it is a matter of waiting, such as if they try and push into your chest.

This instructional is dense with information, requiring a lot of study and unpacking: I've spent over a year going through the techniques and have still only scraped the surface of what Schreiner is sharing. There is a heavy focus on butterfly guard, which I don't encounter as much in my own training (the leg sit pass is the one that has made the biggest impact on my game so far, a pass I try regularly now in sparring). From that selfish perspective, I would have therefore preferred to see details about passing positions like the knee shield and a standard open guard. It would be very interesting to see Schreiner teach material that I come across more often, so hopefully he will do further instructionals for Digitsu in the future.

Precise Pressure Passing is available from Digitsu for a very reasonable $25 for the on-demand version, working out at roughly $1 per technique. There is also the option of a DVD if you prefer, which is $40: an on-demand version is included in that price.

Gi Review - Elite Sports 'Ultra Light' (Guest Review by Kirsty W)

[I don't tend to review gis myself very much any more, unless they are something special (I have a loooot of gis, plus it takes me a long time to review anything, so I won't make that commitment unless it's something like a bamboo gi or unusual in some other interesting respect). Fortunately, I have students who are interested in doing a review in exchange for a gi, so when I was sent one from Elite, I passed it on to my student Kirsty. She wore this gi regularly to training for several months: her review is below, plus pictures.]

Short Review: This gi is comfortable, durable and well-reinforced, with triple stitching on seams. I washed it on 30 degrees and it suffered minimal shrinkage. It also boasts anti-odour and anti-microbial treatment, and dries quicker than standard Tatami gis. It's 100% cotton and costs $69.99.

The design is mostly plain with branding on the shoulders and hips. So plenty of space for patches. And it comes with a free white belt. I'd recommend it for a first gi and for travelling and training.

Though to call it 'ultra light' is a bit of a stretch (especially compared to something like the BJJ Globetrotter travel gi or GIMONO gis, for example), it is certainly lighter than some other entry level gis (like the Tatami Nova).

Full Review: The top is comparatively light at 400gsm pearl weave cotton (but still considerably heavier than a truly ultralight gi, such as the 265gsm adidas Response) and allows for easy movement. I did not have any problems with the gi getting damaged during washing or training. The gi top air dries slightly faster than my other gis (which are all Tatami).

The trousers are 400gsm rip stop cotton with reinforced knees. They are a lot lighter than standard cotton gi pants and dry within a couple of hours (given sensible weather). The drawstring is aesthetically pleasing but is quite slippery so comes undone a bit easier than a standard drawstring. This could be replaced with a different drawstring but I have not found it too annoying so I've kept the same one.

The trousers, despite being lightweight, have survived training and the washing machine with no damage. The ripstop fabric is slightly rougher than standard cotton gi pants so could be scratchy if worn without spats by someone with sensitive skin. There is also rashguard lining on the inside of the jacket, by the yoke of the neck.

Both the trousers and the top have triple stitching on all outer seams and reinforcement on slits, armpits, knees and crotch. The inner lining on the wrists is soft and not scratchy. Elite Sports recommends that the gi be washed in cold water and air dried. I wash all my gis at 30 degrees and this one has been fine, with minimal shrinkage.

The legs have shortened less than standard cotton gi pants when subjected to similar washing and drying conditions. I have not tried tumble drying. The manufacturers claim that the fabric has anti-bacterial treatment, and the gi does indeed seem to be missing the slightly musty smell that lingers on other gis even when they've been washed.

The gi can be bought for $69.99, making it my cheapest gi, but also the one I use the most as it offers the most ease of movement and dries the quickest. I would recommend this gi as a first BJJ gi. It also rolls up the smallest out of all my gis (they are all A2 size) so fits the best into a rucksack, although I don't yet have a superlight gi like Can's. ;)

Video Review - Flow Jitsu (Mike Bidwell & Nic Gregoriades)

Short Review: For Nic Gregoriades' latest instructional, Mike Bidwell of 'BJJ After 40' fame runs through some solid attacks from guard and the mount. Unlike what you may have seen on his popular channel, the techniques here don't require you to backflip around the mat and do the splits, sticking with more human levels of athleticism. It's well taught, clearly explained and the camerawork carefully follows the important details. Available to download here for £40, which gets you a hour of content.

Full Review: The concept of BJJ aimed at people over forty appeals to me. Although I'm not (quite) there yet at 35, training for longevity is something I've focused on more and more over the years. My thinking has been that as it takes me so long to get good at anything in BJJ, I don't want to have to relearn a whole new game a few decades down the line, as my body (especially joints) get older. Hence why I was curious when Nic Gregoriades asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing a new product he's produced with Mike Bidwell, a 47 year old black belt who runs the popular BJJ After 40 page on Facebook (not to be confused with several other sites called BJJ Over 40, like this one, or the product I reviewed a while back by Roy Harris).

I've been shown videos by Bidwell before and discounted them, because it looked far too flashy and acrobatic for my interests. He may be over a decade older than me, but wow, he certainly doesn't move like it! Therefore when Nic mentioned that the product was by Bidwell I was concerned it would be overly ninja. Fortunately on Flow Jitsu (apart from one example at the end), Bidwell keeps his impressive flexibility and movement skills simmering rather than to the boil.

Bidwell teaches at Tai Kai Jiu Jitsu in New York. He produced this instructional in collaboration with Nic Gregoriades. Having said that, Nic doesn't appear to have much involvement in the actual content: he appears briefly at the start to introduce it, but does not take part in the drilling. That introduction is around four minutes, where Nic raises the same concern I had, given Bidwell's unusual attributes. However, Nic was convinced after training with Bidwell that the material would be "adaptable, versatile and effective: guys can take this stuff and use it straight away." As Bidwell himself puts it, when asked about the name 'Flow Jitsu':

"I believe in the idea of flowing, I believe in the idea of movement. What I've done with this video is I've created techniques that I believe are very adaptable, because I believe that jiu jitsu itself is incredibly adaptable. Jiu jitsu will take you exactly as you are, your physical abilities and limitations etc. What I've done with this video is create techniques that I feel can work for anybody."

The first technique is what I would call a sit up sweep or hip bump: Bidwell refers to it as the 'outside kimura sweep' (three minutes), not a term I've seen before. His explanation for the name does make sense, as he points out that this sweep often ends up with an opportunity for a kimura. He goes for an unusual grip in the video, essentially getting a figure four grip on their belt (if they don't have a belt, Bidwell suggests grabbing your shin instead).

That's followed by the inside kimura sweep (eight minutes). This time when he sits up, he slides his hand inside their opposite arm, then continues the sweep. Bidwell says this stops them knocking you back down, as well as being explosive. That grip also means you can swivel your hand to move their arm across when you get to the mount, right into the gift wrap (or I guess armbars from the usual s mount). Continuing that much vaunted flow element he spoke about earlier, from that gift wrap, Bidwell shows how to switch right into a bow and arrow choke.

He then finishes with some details on what he calls the 'baby restraint' grip, similar to what I'd call the seatbelt from the back. After a few kimura sweep counters (slightly under four minutes), Bidwell has a section entitled chaining sweeps and setups (three minutes). I probably wouldn't use the term 'chain' for this (which I'd assume would be a sequence going from one sweep to another), but either way it's useful. Bidwell packs in plenty of different variations on grips and posture-breaks for the sit-up sweep.

It's then time to move on from the sit-up sweep to where it lands you in the mount, with Americana setups (six minutes). I rarely get an americana from mount, as everybody is expecting it and their arms are normally much too defensive. Bidwell's approach was interesting. He began by talking a bit about mount in general, sitting on their stomach rather than on the bones of their hips. He goes under the head to set up his attack, rather than attempting to push straight into the figure-four. That then allows him to go for a number of follow-ups, particularly the head and arm choke.

He's got some sneaky ways to make them give that to you, baiting it with more americana attacks and wristlocks. I played around with this over October, as that's been mount month at Artemis BJJ, particularly at one of the women's classes. This section also highlighted the helpful use of close-ups and reverse angles on Flow Jitsu. The camera zooms right in to show you the finer details of grips, often hard to see with a technique like this. With a mounted americana close to the head, there is lots of anatomy bunched together, which the camerawork manages to untangle.

Bidwell progresses with what he calls Americana to peek-a-boo (five minutes). If they push back firmly into your americana attempt, you can bounce off the first arm to the second. For this particular variation, Bidwell gives them some space to put their head under the arm, which again goes right to that gift wrap. Also as before, he can use that gift wrap to set up a bow and arrow choke.

This was the version with a knee behind the head (which I think some people call the crossbow choke? As ever, BJJ terminology is not consistent, so who knows ;D). He also fits in a nifty detail on armbars. Grip higher on the hand as you drop back, above the wrist. That will make their resistance weaker, compared to wrapping under the arm. Bidwell quickly shifts to a bicep slicer after that.

Seatbelt Counters (five minutes) is not about the back, which is what I had initially assumed from the name. By seatbelt, Bidwell is talking about them reaching around your waist from under the mount. This isn't something you'll see much beyond white belt, but it does happen sometimes. The mounted triangle is waiting for you here, which Bidwell finishes by twisting into a corkscrew. If you can't lock your legs, you can armbar them from that upright position. If they wrap with both arms, push down into them, then lock your leg next to their hand. Whether or not you can bring your leg over their head, that flows beautifully into an omoplata, justifying the name of the instructional.

There is bit of a jump after that, as he goes into around three minutes of triangle choke details from the guard (although that submission does of course combine well with the omoplata). Bidwell talks about using a very different set up to the triangle, by which he means the angled version Ryan Hall teaches, where you're looking at their ear. Personally I use the orthodox square-on approach so rarely that this angled approach is the one that now feels standard to me. Bidwell progresses mostly in the same way as Hall, except that Bidwell likes to finish by reaching underneath them and locking his hands. If you don't have limbs that long, he suggests cupping their far ribs with one hand and closing it off that way: the leverage is similar.

Next up, various ways to get into the gift wrap from mount (three minutes). Bidwell calls this the 'face wrap': I've said it many times before, but BJJ terminology is almost never consistent. I'm used to 'gift wrap', but 'face wrap' is arguably more accurate. The set up is they try to block your attempt to choke them once your hand is in their collar, by bringing their hand inside your arm. To counter, you can drop your elbow over to the other side.

That traps their arm underneath, helping you to then get behind their head with your other arm and move into the gift wrap. If they grab your sleeve, re-grip their sleeve and pull it across. If they are being really tight on defence with no arm to grab, that can make it easier to move them sideways by hooking under an elbow (the go-to option for me if somebody clams up tight is to use that to take the back).

At this point, Bidwell spends two minutes on a technique in his inimitable style, a flashiness familiar to viewers of BJJ After 40. It's one of two times he gets a little elaborate. This first one is a wristlock that starts by grabbing their fingers. I'm wary of small joint manipulation like that, plus the finish of wrapping around behind your head looks tricky. Still, if it's safer than it looks, certainly worth a try as the tap looks powerful. I'd be worried about mashing somebody's figures, but then I err on the side of caution when it comes to injuring my training partners (which is the main reason I pretty much never go for leglocks).

We're back in familiar territory for guard lapel attacks (four minutes). I often go for the gi tail ezequiel, although I rarely use it from the guard. This is therefore a handy demonstration of how to hit it from there, similar to how you would do it from mount (which is where I would normally try it, along with top half and side control). Bidwell adds in the detail of thrusting your knee into them for extra leverage.

Moving on to mount lapel attacks (three minutes), it starts with the same thing but from the top. Another detail where Bidwell varies slightly is that he doesn't chop into the neck, instead using a hammerfist. He's also got another tweak on the set up, wrapping their gi tail around his wrist to help get into position.

Still on lapel attacks, Bidwell then goes full ninja for five minutes. This the second time he gets right into the flashy material, with some crazy spinning chokes: e.g., something he calls the 'seppuku choke', which is just as fancy as that suggestst. This is way too complicated for me, but along with that wristlock, it's the only time he really gets into his standard BJJ After 40 fanciness.

If you're looking for some well taught attacks from closed guard and the mount, there is plenty for you in the hour of material Bidwell covers. Apart from that last sequence, it is not going to involve anything crazy, living up to my hope that these techniques had some longevity. It wasn't quite what I expected from the title 'Flow Jitsu', but then 'A Few Good Sequences From Mount and Closed Guard' is considerably less catchy. ;)

Available to download here for £40. I'd say that price is a bit high for an hour of content, but it's decent material, well presented.

Equipment Review - 'Real Dope Pants' (Datsusara)

Short Review: A considerable improvement over previous Datsusara gi trousers I've tried, the Real Dope Pants are easily among the most comfortable gi trousers I've ever worn (and I've worn a lot in the last decade). The green and black colour scheme is striking, although the gentle humour of the embroidery may still be too much for some. I also found the drawstring was too long for me, but that is an issue with most drawstrings, easily resolved by cutting and singeing the ends. These trousers are not cheap at $75 (available here, from the Datsusara website), but if you value comfort, it's money well spent.

Full Review: Datsusara have remained the most prominent name in the hemp gi market, a profile that has risen since their sponsorship of the Eddie Bravo Invitational. On that event, you may have seen the referees wearing some stylish trousers with a green drawstring. Those are the 'Real Dope Pants', a marked departure from Datsusara's previous HCG ('hemp combat gi') model, at least in terms of the older editions I've tested over the years (the HCG-02 and HCG-03: Datsusara is currently up to the HCG-06).

Those older gis used a weave that was comfortable and breathable, if comparatively heavy. The same weave was used in the Flow Kimonos hemp offering (which I reviewed here). They've proven to be excellent training gis, but are too bulky for travel. This is in contrast to another hemp gi I own, currently my favourite of any gi: The Green Gi. I own two jackets and one pair of The Green Gi trousers. The weave is tighter than either the HCG-02/03 or the Flow Hemp, which may explain why it feels lighter and is easier to pack.

The Green Gi gets my vote for top spot because it's ridiculously comfortable. After I first put them on, the Real Dope Pants immediately reminded me of The Green Gi: they are just as comfortable. If the HCG-06 is made out of the same weave, then that is going to make for a very tempting purchase the next time I'm in the US.

The striking green and black colour scheme of the Datsusara trousers elicited plenty of comments when I first walked in wearing them, but as regular readers will know, if I own something black it doesn't stay that way for long: I like colour. I bleached and then dyed the trousers, as I wanted something I could match with my second The Green Gi jacket, which I dyed dark green a while back. Before I attacked it with various chemicals, the black was attractively set off by the green stitching and embroidery, along with a green bungee cord drawstring.

I found that drawstring overly long for my taste, though this is a problem with every bungee cord style drawstring I've tried so far. It's easily rectified, as you can simply cut the superfluous material, then singe the ends with a candle to prevent fraying. It comes undone more easily than my favourite drawstrings (which are from Fenom Kimonos), so there is perhaps slightly less friction in the finish compared to the Fenom.

I've been wearing both The Green Gi and the Datsusara trousers regularly over the last few months, culminating in an open mat where I switched between them midway through. I also asked my student Milka to test both of them, which proved illuminating. Her preference was the Datsusara, though she felt they were both excellent. To quote her:

These [the Datsusara] are the most comfortable. These [The Green Gi] are just as comfortable, thicker, so for the winter they'd be perfect. However, I can feel the stitches, because they are right across my thighs. But with this [the Datsusara], it's like wearing nothing.

As soon as she rolled in them, she was asking me where she could buy a pair. Personally, I prefer The Green Gi, but it's close. The reason is that while I find them equally comfortable, I prefer the cut on The Green Gi and they have thicker reinforcement panels by the knees. I haven't had any issues with the stitching on the trousers, though I did have the seam tape by the sleeve cuffs removed due to itchiness (I think from the seam tape edge, rather than the stitching itself).

A photo posted by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Aug 14, 2016 at 7:00am PDT

I also prefer the plain design of The Green Gi. Normally Datsusara are notably plainer than most other companies, so the shift to increased embroidery and patches on the Real Dope Pants was a departure. I don't mind the kanji, it was the 'Real Dope Gear' embroidery I found off-putting. I live in Bristol, where you will often smell pot wafting down the street. My attitude is that as long as they aren't smoking it on my mats, I don't mind: what you do at home is your business. However, even the gently pro-pot implication of the 'Real Dope' pun wasn't a message I felt comfortable displaying on my gi, especially as an instructor. I therefore covered it with a patch, though the embroidery would also be fairly easily to remove, judging by my quick test unpicking a few of the threads.

Before washing, the A1 trousers I got were 93cm long. After several months of regular washing at 30 degree Celsius, they have shrunk to 90cm. If you stick to 30 degrees, then that would indicate you can be relatively confident that the sizes on the website are not going to shift dramatically.

It will be interesting to see what the durability is like on the Real Dope Pants, so I'll update this review in a couple of years. There are many alleged benefits to hemp (see my old HCG review for more discussion of that), but as ever the only one I can currently confirm is that hemp clothing has a considerably greater level of comfort compared to cotton.

The Real Dope Pants are an impressive achievement by Datsusara, which hopefully will carry across to their gis as well, if it hasn't already. If Datusara are able to produce a jacket as comfortable as these trousers, I suspect I will soon have a new favourite gi. ;)

The Real Dope Pants are available to buy here, from the Datsusara website

Book Review - Becoming the Black Belt (Roy Dean)

Short Review: A BJJ biography in a comparable vein to John Will's Rogue Black Belt series, Roy Dean's second autobiographical book takes the reader from Dean's beginnings in BJJ, right through to building a successful school with black belt graduates of his own. As you would expect from Dean, it is eloquent, with a 'traditional' martial arts feel. He's a skilled writer with an interesting story to share, so this is an engaging read, particularly if you're an aspiring school owner. It's possibly a little pricey at £7/$10 for 154 pages, but still affordable.

Full Review:When it comes to biographical books about Brazilian jiu jitsu, there isn't a huge amount of choice, at least in English. There's the Carlos Gracie book by his daughter Reila, John Will's recollections in his Rogue Black Belt trilogy, Marshal Carper's adventures in Hawaii, Christian Graugart's academy-hopping trip around the world and most recently, Val Worthington's Training Wheels. If you broaden it out to MMA, many more choices become available (with articulate voices like Sam Sheridan), but for pure BJJ, it remains limited.

Roy Dean has already had one entry into this market, although in his first book he spoke more about aikido and his time as an uchideshi. In Becoming the Black Belt, the focus is squarely on BJJ. I can't think of another book that manages to trace a complete journey, from BJJ beginner through to senior belt, the struggles and triumphs of building up a successful school, then finally discovering that your passion lies elsewhere. The tone of the book reflects Dean's well-regarded DVDs, presenting BJJ from what you might call a traditional martial arts mindset.

That starts with Nic Gregoriades' discussion of bushido in his foreword, continuing through to Dean peppering his first chapter with terms like 'warrior' and 'rite of passage'. It isn't a perspective I share on BJJ or martial arts in general - unsurprising, given I have never been interested in developing a spiritual side - but it also isn't required to enjoy this book. What most caught my interest was Dean's depiction of the US BJJ scene in the early 2000s.

Brazilian jiu jitsu is a young art outside of Brazil, its expansion catalysed by the first UFC in 1993. Roy Dean was present a few years later, just as BJJ was consolidating its foothold in the United States. He made his way to what remains the epicentre of BJJ in the States, and by extension the key site for the sport outside of Brazil in general: San Diego. Training in California at that time meant he dropped in to the legendary Lions Den headed up by Ken Shamrock, before deciding on Roy Harris, a man well worth an autobiography himself (though his reputation has recently taken a hit, due to the understandable uncertainty over his controversial online ranking system).

Aside from history, there is considerable material that relates to everyday training, which reminds me a little of Mark Johnson's two books discussing BJJ. For example, a salient point about the enormous boost a good training partner can bring to your progress, which for Dean was integral to his development. That man is Brad Hirakawa, who gets a number of name checks (as for an entirely different reason do I, due to meeting Dean at his UK seminar a few years ago).

As Dean's book moves into the fourth chapter, he explores the competition mindset and the importance of aggression. I dislike aggression both on and off the mats and therefore have my own strong views on the topic, but Dean makes some good points about his need to develop that killer instinct to turn around his tournament performance. He's very good on describing competition fights, including a match with a certain Nick Diaz. If all of those are from memory it's hugely impressive, but I assume there was some video footage too (as Dean frequently mentions a sponsor with a camera).

There is the odd minor error, such as describing the Dirty Dozen as the first twelve Americans (John Will is Australian and part of that select group too), or a very occasional typo, but they're rare. Also, they might well be corrected in the final version of the book, rather than the review copy I read. Dean's instructor Roy Harris was in that Dirty Dozen group as well: he is a running theme throughout the book. Many people will have read the engaging account by Harris regarding his own progression to black belt, but there are still a few tidbits in Dean's book that add to the story.

A photo posted by Can (Jun) (@slideyfoot) on May 4, 2016 at 7:06am PDT

Given it is an autobiography, there are non-BJJ elements (yes, there is life outside BJJ ;D). For example, Dean talks at length about his studies into music and digital media. His mastery of the DVD medium makes more sense after reading that: I was aware he had some academic training in audio visual, but this gives you specifics (e.g., ProTools and the like). There are also a few nods to his love life, but they fortunately (from my perspective, I guess others might want to read romance) take up very little space in the book.

I was much more interested in his thoughts on setting up an academy. Alongside the questions about business and self-employment, Dean also adroitly deals with the political issues that invariably crop up when any group of humans grow over a certain number. He has never been one for gossip, so those hoping for juicy discussion of internal school troubles won't find it here: he keeps it professional.

His financial perspective on assistant instructors is interesting, and an issue where I'd have to disagree with his stance. They're helping your business, so at the very least should not be charged anything (though in fairness, it is a model Dean tried first before changing his view). The situations he found himself in as a school owner - and then goes on to describe and analyse - are not scenarios I can remember reading in any other BJJ book. I might be forgetting one of course, but either way, these situations aren't commonly discussed outside of forum hearsay.

The narrative arc of the biography is intriguing, the kind of story I enjoy reading in interviews. To be specific, the good interviews, as opposed to a young competition-focused athletic type telling you how much they train every day. I want to hear from somebody with real life experience that has something to share, experiences I can relate to and possibly learn from. That's what you'll find in these 151 pages. It's an engaging read, which I would especially recommend if you're a current or aspiring instructor/school owner.

Dean's book is available in ths US for $10, or in the UK for £7. That is perhaps a smidgeon too pricey for 154 pages, given that Val Worthington's comparable BJJ non-fiction release is a hundred pages longer for the same cost, but it's not an outrageous charge. I'm also not sure of word count, as I read Becoming the Black Belt as a PDF rather than a kindle book.

Video Review - The Crucifix Building Blocks (Dave Jacobs)

Short Review: An excellent introduction to the crucifix, running through several entries, maintenance and dealing with your opponent's escape attempts, as well as a relatively comprehensive selection of submissions. This is all the more impressive given it is packed into thirty minutes. Each video is trimmed of any fat, leaving the essential details. Jacobs doesn't give you any guff: the longest section is barely two and a half minutes.

If you're looking to expand your repertoire from the back, look no further. Jacobs is a superb instructor (who I can vouch for, having been to his seminar on the same topic). Thanks to this clearly structured and skillfully shot instructional from Digitsu, you can now experience that top notch teaching yourself, for a very affordable $16 (either on your phone or via the website, here). Be aware that it may not be live until a bit later today: I had access to a review version.

Full Review: The growth of online instruction has continued at pace in the BJJ community. For the last seven years, that has mainly been subscription websites headed up by big-name instructors, relying on a rapidly expanding technique database to keep customers paying their $25 each month. Digitsu has been around for a while, kicking off in late 2010 with an Abmar Barbosa DVD series, before living up to their name with several downloadable instructionals a few months later (headed by Stephen 'sambosteve' Koepfer, though as his online moniker indicates, those videos covered sambo rather than BJJ). Since then, they have gradually carved out a different space to the other major online BJJ hubs. Rather than relying on subscription, Digitsu has built up a selection of videos from a wide variety of instructors, offered on demand.

Some of them are famous names, others are not as well known, but the diversity of positions, prices and styles makes for a compelling content library. Digitsu is also becoming the publisher of choice for instructors who aren't looking to set up a online instructional site themselves, but still have knowledge they want to share. For example, teachers like Karel Pravec, a veteran of BJJ forums for many years, has a product called 'Fluid BJJ' on Digitsu. A similarly stalwart forum goer can also be found in the Digitsu archives, or will be shortly after this review is posted: Dave Jacobs.

I had the pleasure of attending a great seminar with with Jacobs two years ago in Virginia, covering the crucifix. Since then, thanks to Jacobs lighting that spark, the crucifix has become my main focus from the turtle position. That was intensified by two crucifix instructionals I was asked to review, both again featuring instructors who are arguably best known because of their internet presence: Matt 'Aesopian' Kirtley and Nathan 'Levo' Leverton.

Yesterday, Jacobs sent me a message asking if I wanted to review an instructional he was releasing via Digitsu. I jumped at the chance (deadlines are always good too: it needed to be up before Wednesday, so that got my lazy arse in gear ;D). Unusually for me, this is an instructional where I've essentially seen the material before, as almost all the techniques were covered during that 2014 seminar. In my case, this was therefore a refresher rather than lots of completely new stuff to play with.

Jacobs style is concise, structured and clear, enhanced by the refreshingly pragmatic camerawork and editing by Digitsu. Although the entire instructional is only around 30 mins, Jacobs packs in 21 sections, each ranging from between one to two and a half minutes. There is absolutely no guff: every move and word is calibrated to be of use to you rather than filling in space. After the introduction (01:32), Jacobs gets into crucifix entrances, starting with the turtle (at 02:28, the longest video). The camera angle changes when Jacobs discusses different ways of grabbing the wrist, with a quick replay from a different perspective to show the leg positioning on their arm.

Next up, there is an entry from deep half guard (02:11), one of the techniques which wasn't covered at the seminar. This looked interesting, especially as I don't do a whole lot from the top of deep half guard except try to underhook their arm. That's exactly where this entry starts, very handily. Drop your hip, move around, scoot under, then free your leg to get into the crucifix. I'm looking forward to trying this out: it should fit well with my scheduled lessons over the next couple of months, as I was thinking of looking at the back followed by half guard.

Jacobs appears to have read my mind, because his next two entries (both a minute) are from positions I frequently use: first butterfly guard, then off the knee cut, my favourite pass. Finally, you can move into the crucifix after stuffing their single leg (01:05), varying slightly depending on how high they get their head as they shoot in. There is then a quick mobility drill (01:03), which I'll add in to the crucifix classes I'm planning to teach this month.

Having shown the entry, Jacobs progresses to some positional pointers. A section on maintaining (01:21) emphasises the importance of head control, followed by what to do if you need to regain your grips (01:47). Jacobs also examines escape prevention (01:07), before he gets into methods for entering the standard face up crucifix (once you've secured the necessary grips from turtle). You can do a somersault to roll your opponent over (01:38), or the less acrobatic version I prefer, where you basically just walk backwards (01:17). This is the option that stuck with me from the seminar, which I've used ever since.

The rest of Jacobs' instruction is dedicated to attacks, beginning with submissions from the kneeling crucifix (i.e., you haven't rolled them over yet). It is possible to lock (01:37) the arm you've secured, though I've always found finding the right point on the arm tricky. Jacobs has some additional tips he goes over in a 'fine tuning' segment (00:55), then it's into my favourite attack from the kneeling crucifix, a shoulder lock (02:06). I've taught this one as the 'dog pee' lock a few times now, for want of a better name. Looking at how Jacobs does it, I might be emphasising the dog peeing motion too much, as he seemed to bring his leg back a bit more rather than just straight out.

Leslie 'BJJ Grrl' Dove drilling the shoulder lock with me at that 2014 seminar

I was expecting the clock choke (01:18) to be the standard version, as that's something I'll often try when I can't lock on the crucifix. However, it was instead a cool variation you can do once you've already got the arm secured for the crucifix, sprawling your hips down to apply the submission when combined with your collar grip. Naturally you also have the two classic crucifix attacks from the face up position too: the collar choke (01:21) and the armbar, listed as arm lock 2 (02:20) to differentiate it from the kneeling crucifix version.

The kimura trap (02:01) is a useful what-if when they have managed to free their arm, or perhaps they've just gotten low enough that they could go for the back roll escape. Switch to a kimura on the arm you have underhooked, extending your arms out. This should prevent them from turning (but note it isn't impossible, the grip just gives you time). Walk your legs around behind them, then you can either go for the kimura as normal, or potentially re-establish your crucifix. From there, you could also slap on a wristlock (01:19).

To conclude the instructional, Jacobs demonstrates what he calls a judo triangle (01:26). The finish looks similar to what I refer to as the step over triangle (although that starts from side control), particularly the version I saw in Scramble head honcho Matt Benyon's awesome video. Due to the angle and tightness of that triangle, it also gives you the option of applying a kimura simply by pushing on their arm, which is often stuck out vulnerably in front of you.

Digitsu instructionals are available both through the website and their app, an important feature for me as I frequently watch instructionals on my phone. In either format, you can download them too, in case you want to watch them offline. There's a menu next to the video on the website, so you can skip to the segment you want.

On the app, that menu appears below the video in portrait view, with an option to download next to each of the chapter headings (you can then view them in the app whether or not you've got a data connection). If you rotate your phone to landscape, the video automatically follows your lead, switching to fullscreen.

For a mere $16 (available via Digitsu, here), this is more than worth it. That's currently discounted from $20 (about £13.50 at current exchange rates), but even at full price you're only paying a dollar per technique. If you've just started BJJ you might want to wait a while before jumping into this (though that's true of any instructional: I'd recommend beginners don't look into supplemental material for at least a few months), but the instruction on this is so clear that you're unlikely to run into any major problems. I've taught the crucifix to relative beginners before and they've all picked it up ok: it isn't necessarily as complex as it might look.

This instructional is only thirty minutes long, but efficiently packs in all the material you need to add the crucifix to your back attack game. That brevity coupled with precision is perfect for an introduction. You're not going to be overwhelmed with material and this won't be sitting on your digital shelf collecting dust. Long, detailed instructionals are great when you're ready to dive into a topic and spend some quality time luxuriating in all the small tweaks, but sometimes you just want the meat. Dave Jacobs serves up a frugal but satisfying meal of jiu jitsu: I'd recommend his cooking, to continue stretching that metaphor. ;)