The Grappling Dummy

Christian of Shogun HQ is planning the kind of trip the rest of us only dream about when we fall asleep within a dream and have a dream. It’s that amazing.

Travelling the world training BJJ anywhere and everywhere. Sweet!

If you guys have any ideas for sponsors, or places for him to visit, please let him know.

I suspect in about a year’s time we’ll all be gathered around our screens (or using our bionic computer implants or whatever) preparing to watch the most awesome video ever uploaded to Vimeo, chronicling these adventures.

Check it out!

This competition has been literally setting the internet on fire. I just checked the home page and smelled something burning then looked up to find my eyebrows had been singed practically completely off. It’s that hot.

The Meerkatsu / Part Time Grappler / Tatami Fightwear “Crazy Ass” Gi Competition!

Basically you download a template, draw your dream gi, and send it off. I would enter but the 3.7 minutes of spare time I have a day are currently filled up with sniping fictional North Korean’s faces off in Crysis.

Enjoy!

Scorpion!

Wearing Lock and Roll

Maciej’s shorts

The banner

Pretty exciting seeing Scramble on PPV in the States!

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it to the recent Brighton Open, hosted by Grab and Pull.

I was too busy ferrying people to and from the airport. I stayed in a hotel that looked like this on the internet:

and this in reality:

Great.

Luckily my compadre Ben made it down to fly the Scramble flag, and he’s got the pics to prove it.

By all accounts it was a great competition, well run by Gus from Grab and Pull. Apparently the competition tees went down a treat, and by the end of the day you couldn’t turn your head without seeing a Lock and Roll or a Newaza. Brilliant!

The Scramble competition team made a good showing, too, with John in his first ever competition smashing through two guys and losing to a much larger opponent to get a silver medal.

John with the silver medal and the competition tee. And his girlfriend.

Stacey and Luke (the next Mendes brothers, ha!) did well, with Stacey winning two by submission and Luke getting his first competition win under his belt. Hats off to them as apparently they were in the hospital the whole night before with a family emergency. Rich fought well but lost to the eventual winner of his division.

Arnold / Mendes brothers

Oli fighting in front of the Scramble banner!

Jon Nicholson from Axis BJJ in Cambridge rocking the competition tee and a medal! Well done!

Our sponsored Scramblers did well, too. New addition Dan Strauss proved he is well on the way to becoming something special by winning the Ultra Heavyweight purple belt division. Amazing in itself, even more amazing when you consider Dan is a lightweight!

Welcome to the family, Dan!

Ultra Heavyweight Champ!

And Oli Geddes, who literally can’t stop himself from competing, was not phased by the total lack of brown belts in the vicinity and fought Purple/Brown Mixed Absolute against Danny Agard (Abu Dhabi Pro Champion at Blue) and Ross Nicholls (European Champion at Blue). He won.

Look how happy Oli is to have the new Scramble tee!

Just a reminder to let you know that if you want to buy some Scramble gear at a discount and without having to worry about postage and packing – and you want to feel its brain-meltingly amazing quality first hand – then you can do so at the Brighton BJJ open tomorrow.

You’ll find our gear at the Grab and Pull stall, so just ask to see it!

Also, there will be no class tomorrow as the team is competing in Brighton.

Yoroshiku!

My friend Ide-san has recently opened his own branch of Paraestra, with the blessing of Yuki Nakai.

It’s a great thing for him – he is an amazing teacher, especially of kids, and a really nice guy.

He’s also an animal on the mats – All Japan Blue belt and Purple belt champion, as well as a judo black belt and an all-round tank.

I’m looking forward to seeing him and training with him again.

He recently sent me the dojo rules to take a look at. I really liked them, so I thought I’d share them.

It’s typical of the slight Japanese flavour of BJJ training over there, but I’d like the think they’re the kind of rules that would be found in any good BJJ gym around the world.

Osu!

PARAESTRA NAKAGAWA – Martial Arts Communication

English Rules (as of August 6^th, 2010)

1. Be pleasant when entering the dojo. Say “konichiwa” loud enough to hear and please bow.
2. Don’t forget to say “otsukare sama deshita” when leaving the dojo as well. Be clear enough to hear and, of course, bow.
3. Classes will officially start and end while kneeling in seiza for greetings and closing remarks. Seiza might be hard, but do your best.
4. If you want to join class when it has already started, please tell the instructor.
5. If you plan on leaving early before class ends, please tell the instructor as well.
6. No lounging around bare-chested during practice. No one wants to see that! Please wear a rash guard or t-shirt under your gi.
7. No talking during the instructor’s explanation. Please go outside if you have to talk.
8. Standing or kneeling in seiza is fine during the instructor’s explanation.
9. No video or picture taking in class without permission.
10. Training partners shake hands before drilling and before sparring. Everyone shakes hands after closing remarks when the class is finished.
11. Go slow when applying submissions. Give training partners the chance to tap, and immediately release submissions after they tap especially when performing joint locks.
12. When caught in a submission, tap. Don’t fight it for longer than necessary. Being unable to train from an injury because you didn’t tap is far worse than just tapping.
13. Don’t be concerned too much over “winning” or “losing”. The safety of your training partners comes first. Don’t injure them.
14. Worn out and torn gi are not permitted in practice.
15. Remove all earrings, rings, necklaces and other jewelry.
16. Trim and take care of your finger and toe nails.
17. Wash and keep your gi clean. Dirty, foul gi are also not permitted.
18. Everyone is expected to follow the same routine during class. If you are unable due to injury or some other physical ailment, please inform the instructor as soon as possible.
19. Under no circumstances should there be arguments or misunderstandings with each other and inside the dojo. Please go outside if there are any conflicts.
20. There is a study school next door. Be polite to the teachers and to the parents, and be friendly to the students.
21. Keep in mind our behavior outside of the dojo. As positive community members we should strive to be quality role models for children.
22. Work hard. Opportunities come to those who invest their time and energy into their efforts.
23. Persevere. Struggles, difficulties and hardships are just different ways of strengthening us.
24. Don’t limit yourself by giving up. Giving up is a single option; challenging yourself opens a thousand.

Incredible!

Scramble sponsored athlete Maciej Jewtuszko scored KO of the night on his WEC debut at WEC 50 last night!

And the new Scramble logotype makes it onto the PPV…

OK, it looks like "SCRAM" but it says "SCRAMBLE" really!

Congratulations to Maciej. What a debut.

Check out the fight here

WEC 50: Maciej Jewtuszko vs Anthony Njokuani
Uploaded by MMAVideosPL. – More professional, college and classic sports videos.

You’ll buy them here!

Combining two of my favourite things: Random British Jingoism, Janglish, and Getting Kicked in the Balls!

No wait, my three favourite things!

Anyway. This tee is inspired by the British stiff upper lip, and Yuji Shimada, Janglish-spurting Pride referee who started every match with those immortal words… “No elbow above neck. No attack groin. No grab rope. Crean fight, crean fight!”

They also feature the new Scramble logotype – the same that you can (hopefully!) see at the WEC on Maciej Jewtuszko’s shorts/banner, and Sengoku Raiden Championships 14 on Jeff Lawson’s shorts/banner.

Gobble them up while you can, as usual this is limited edition stuff!

These are the same model tees as the Newaza. I’ve learnt that the sizing is a little generous.

So, if you are a medium but like them tight, get a small. If you are a large, but like them tight, get a medium. If you are… you get the idea. Think of them as Hip Hop sizes.

Yoroshiku!

Reverse All GT is all about bringing the community together. If you are around, make sure you enter!

Unfortunately I won’t be able to be at the Brighton Open in person, which really sucks.

But Scramble will be sending down Ben to oversee things, and competitors Stacey (who won gold in Bournemouth), Luke, John and Richard to give ‘em hell.

Good luck dudes!