Thursday, April 9, 2015

Learning Cottonwood martial arts the right way

When you think of places to learn Cottonwood martial arts your first thought might not be Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Osburn BJJ. When most people think martial arts, they think of punches, kicks, and katas. They don’t think of people wrestling for dominant position and look for submission holds. At least that’s how people used to think. However, since the advent of the UFC in 1993 people started to look at martial arts differently. For so long they had been clouded in mystery and myth. Often times martial arts fans would pose questions like, “Who would win in a fight, the kung fu master or the karate stylist?” The UFC quickly gave us the answer: the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner would beat them both!
This isn’t to say that there aren’t many good Cottonwood martial arts that you can learn. But in a real life fighting situation, if you do not know Brazilian Jiu Jitsu(BJJ), you will be at a huge disadvantage. However, if you do know BJJ then you can start to use many of the other martial arts that you may have learned before. In fact, in recent years we’ve started to see a resurgence of traditional martial arts in the UFC. One of the newest stars fighting for the featherweight title is Conor McGregor. He employs an arsenal of karate-style kicks, stances, and the in-and-out movement seen in point style fighting. He can do all thisbecause he knows BJJ.
Even if BJJ is not what you want to specialize in, you need to learn it if you really want to properly express other Cottonwood martial arts that you know. In other words, if you want to truly be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of your karate, you need to learn BJJ. That way if you end up on the ground in a fight you know how to survive, get up, and then get back into karate range. And having the confidence of knowing BJJ will make your other martial arts better. If you are not afraid of being taken down, then you can commit more to your strikes and root yourself into the ground for more power.
In this Cottonwood martial arts clip Coach Osburn shows was to escape from the sidemount position. In a fight, this is one of the worst positions for someone to be in. Any martial artist of any style needs to know how to stay safe from strikes and how to escape this position. If you are already good at a traditional martial art, think how much more confident you will be once you learn the efficient and  technical BJJ answer to getting out of this position while staying safe!



So if you'd like to learn from the only BJJ black belt in Cottonwood, who is also an assistant wrestling coach at Mingus High School, then contact Coach Osburn at (928) 254-7851. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will change your life. We guarantee it!

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Verde Valley Self Defense aka why women and children should learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

So it's been a long time since I've written on this blog. I felt the need to bring it back since the world needs to know about Verde Valley self defense aka  why women and children should learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu(BJJ). Now of course, the best place to train and learn BJJ is at my good friend Ted Osburn's school Osburn BJJ.




What makes BJJ such a great form of martial arts to help in your Verde Valley self defense quest is the fact that it can be very effective even when your opponent is younger, stronger, bigger, and more athletic. This is the scenario that most women and children find themselves in when dealing with a larger male attacker. And where BJJ shines even more specifically is it teaches you how to properly choke this potential attacker unconscious.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu's best weapon: the choke!

Helio Gracie, the Godfather of BJJ, said that even the toughest guy in the world will go to sleep with a properly applied choke. While there are boxers who are known for their "iron chin" and can't be knocked out or even guys in the BJJ world who are super flexible and unable to be submitted through joint locks, no one is choke proof.

When someone is an attacker you have to ask yourself, what is the most likely Verde Valley self defense strategy? Are you going to be able to knock him out with a punch? Can you spray him with mace in time? What about a swift kick to the groin, will that work? All of those scenarios might work but they also just might make your attacker angrier. Your attacker won't be able to tough out a choke. He will just go to sleep.

The choke is also a more humane way to stop your attacker. Now this might not matter to some people but in the world we live in, doing less damage is usually a better thing. A strike that really stops an attacker usually has to hurt him. Any other type of BJJ submission can break bones, tear ligaments, or dislocate joints. But a properly applied choke simply cuts off blood supply to the brain and gently puts the person to sleep. As long as the choke is let go of, the person will regain consciousness and be fine. So learning Verde Valley self defense may be safer for everyone.

This also includes children. When dealing with bullies, one issue that has risen to the forefront is the idea that kids aren't supposed to hit back if they are attacked. While I have mixed feelings about such policies, a properly applied choke will subdue any bully and not leave a mark on him. Learning tactics like these can help your self defense Verde Valley needs!

The next reality of a choke is it takes the least amount of size and strength to do correctly. There are limiting factors of physics that prevent a smaller woman or a child from being able to hurt an adult male with strikes. You may get lucky but counting on luck to save your life is not smart.

Even within BJJ joint lock defense can happen if the opponent. If an attacker is intoxicated on drugs or alcohol they may not be effected by the submission hold or feel anything until hours later. But like Helio Gracie said no one can withstand a properly applied choke.

I'm about 175 pounds and I've had 95 pound women and 75 pound children catch me in chokes. When the choke is sunk in, I am going to tap or going to sleep. The choke is powerful! If you want to learn Verde Valley self defense, give Ted a call. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will change your or your child's life!