Just got back from a Saulo Ribeiro seminar.

sitnspin · 09-08-2007, 05:33 PM

The dude is amazing. So smart. So skilled. Awesome teacher. For those of you who might follow MMA but not BJJ on its own, let me fill you in:

6 time Gold Medalist - World Jiu-Jitsu Championships: 1996, 97, 98, 99, 2000, and 2002.
2 time ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion: 2000, 2003.
2 time Gold Medalist - Brazilian National Championships: 1995, 98.
2 time Gold Medalist - Rio de Janeiro State BJJ Champion (and that's just part of the list).

He received his black belt in FOUR YEARS, training predominantly under Royler and Rickson. These days he runs seminars all over the place, but teaches at the Academy of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in San Diego with Royler and Rolker Gracie.

It was 2.5 hours of great instruction, mainly focusing on basic position, sweeps and guard passes. He kept to the basics because that's where the biggest mistakes happen. As he said, you have to refine your basics and make them instinctive because if you have to think you hesitate, and if you hesitate you give him an opening which requires you to counter and work harder, and the harder you have to work the quicker you get tired and get caught. The omoplata was the only sub we worked on, and that was because, as he said, most people know how to apply it, but they lack some fundamentals for finishing with it (once it's sunk, grab both his belt AND his top and use that leverage to get your hips right off the ground with your knee putting a lot of your weight right on his shoulder). His approach is really free -- he says he hates hearing new guys getting told that their right hand has to be on his left lapel, etc, because if you understand leverage and motion and how our bodies move, there's no correct side or place to grab -- everything provides some kind of opportunity, and the less restricted you are in your approach, the more chances you'll have in any situation.

There you go. My brush with BJJ greatness. Pics to follow if I can get them.

Edit: I assume Diego Sanchez is here now too, because the whole plan was that Saulo was bringing him to Toronto to train muay thai with Mauricio. He wasn't at the seminar, but hopefully he'll be at the gym soon.

sitnspin · 09-09-2007, 01:12 AM

Sorry, maybe I needed to post something about Forrest Griffin for you clods to get excited.

/heads off to the UG...

OneTwoPunch · 09-09-2007, 01:59 AM

Thats pretty cool.

basslogic4003 · 09-09-2007, 06:20 PM

I would have posted sooner if I was in town and saw this yesterday! That's awesome man, I'm a huge fan of Ribeiro's. Heck, I'm a fan of ANYBODY with a fraction of the bjj skills he possess'. That must've been awesome. I have yet to attend a seminar (can't muster the money to train AND pay for a seminar... the life of a musician

) When you say grab his top in the omoplata finish, what exactly are you referring to? I love the omoplata and the sweep associated with it, but I occasionaly run into an issue finishing it. Good stuff Sit

sitnspin · 09-09-2007, 07:21 PM

Okay: So you've rolled into what you probably consider the end of the move. His arm is bent back and tucked between the two of you, and your hands are free. With the hand that's closest to him, grab his belt. With the other hand (the outside hand), reach across and grab his opposite sleeve. Now you've got two hands gripping him firmly, so lift yourself off the mat and across him, which is bending his arm in an even less comfortable way.

Your inside knee is right on the shoulder, putting downward pressure on it as you bend his arm back from leverage we just discussed.

BTW -- the seminars were $90 for anyone else, but our gym let all the full-time members in free! Awesome. Saulo even came back last night to watch the UFC with us.

It's easier with a picture. So this guy should grab his opponent's opposite sleeve with his free hand and drag himself off the mat and across the dude's body.

basslogic4003 · 09-10-2007, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sitnspin

Okay: So you've rolled into what you probably consider the end of the move. His arm is bent back and tucked between the two of you, and your hands are free. With the hand that's closest to him, grab his belt. With the other hand (the outside hand), reach across and grab his opposite sleeve. Now you've got two hands gripping him firmly, so lift yourself off the mat and across him, which is bending his arm in an even less comfortable way.

Your inside knee is right on the shoulder, putting downward pressure on it as you bend his arm back from leverage we just discussed.

BTW -- the seminars were $90 for anyone else, but our gym let all the full-time members in free! Awesome. Saulo even came back last night to watch the UFC with us.

It's easier with a picture. So this guy should grab his opponent's opposite sleeve with his free hand and drag himself off the mat and across the dude's body.

Awesome man, thanks for the tip! That's honestly gonna help me tenfold with finishing the omoplata. Musta been cool watching UFC with Ribeiro, huh? What did he have to say, if anything, about the fights?

sitnspin · 09-10-2007, 08:21 AM

He was on the other side of the room with our head trainers, and I actually didn't go up to him that night.

Dirty Fighter · 09-10-2007, 08:41 AM

Very cool news, sit. It's not often one gets to receive live instruction from a world class athlete. Sounds like you go to a really good gym. When are we gonna hear about you competing in a BJJ tourny?

sitnspin · 09-10-2007, 10:07 AM

Not sure. I might do an in-house tourney in October as my first taste of competition, but we'll see. I flip flop between wanting to focus on BJJ and wanting to focus on muay thai, so as a result I'm not spending enough time on either one. The reality is that I still stink at both.

XxGnPxX · 09-10-2007, 12:37 PM

Getting in on competitions sooner than i thought man, plus you seem more comfortable with BJJ now.Even tho you say you stick at it, you seem to know what you're doing, so how can you stink? TWE - Think-Work-Execute

Wish i could of been at that seminar but, at least i get a little bit from it cause your thread

....Good Thread as usual man, keep em coming

btw, bass sit explained it very well but, heres another site showing it comign from a failed arm bar, Enjoy

Ultimate Jujitsu - Omoplata From A Failed Guard Arm-Bar

basslogic4003 · 09-10-2007, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxGnPxX

Getting in on competitions sooner than i thought man, plus you seem more comfortable with BJJ now.Even tho you say you stick at it, you seem to know what you're doing, so how can you stink? TWE - Think-Work-Execute

Wish i could of been at that seminar but, at least i get a little bit from it cause your thread

....Good Thread as usual man, keep em coming

btw, bass sit explained it very well but, heres another site showing it comign from a failed arm bar, Enjoy

Ultimate Jujitsu - Omoplata From A Failed Guard Arm-Bar

Thanks for the site man. I'm familiar with that sequence, it's a nasty little combo

The grabbing the opposite sleave thing that Sit explained is rather intriguing though...been dying to get back on the mat tonight and try it out!

Sit, I hear ya man. It's pretty easy to make a nuisance out of yourself to someone you admire, sometimes you're just better off laying low, haha. Did you get to do any rolling with him?

sitnspin · 09-10-2007, 08:45 PM

Not rolling, but he demonstrated a sweep and took my back for the RNC. My only thought was "Someone get a picture of this!"

basslogic4003 · 09-11-2007, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sitnspin

Not rolling, but he demonstrated a sweep and took my back for the RNC. My only thought was "Someone get a picture of this!"

Very cool man, I'm jealous!