The Neon Belly Podcast

After a frustrating training day for myself, as well as one of my students, I thought it'd be great to talk about plateaus. We talk about how to deal with them in your training, as well as how to deal with them mentally, and when it's time to take a break. We also talk about how to introduce more fun into your training, and how live games can help make your training more fun! 

I spent the weekend in Dallas and Austin, coaching two athletes at the ADCC Open, and then visiting 10th Planet Austin and B-Team. 

NOTE: Slight background noise in the first couple minutes will clear up. Keith also has an incredibly affordable and great Patreon, linked below. - This week we're looking at a few key details for improving RNCs that don't rely on the straitjacket system, namely from Keith Krikorian and Ethan Crelinsten. Some of the matches referenced in the episode are linked below: FREE VIDEOS: - Ethan Crelinsten vs Fabricio Andrey - Ethan shows a 'go-to' arm switching RNC finish- Ethan showing his 'long arm' technique- Instructional Finish on the Back by EthanPAYWALL VIDEOS: - Keith Krikorian Patreon- Keith Krikorian vs Tom Halpin- Eddie Bravo's JiuJitsu OT (feat. Keith & Ethan)

We're back! It's been a long time. Life has been wild this past year, and things are starting to get easier--I didn't want to upload until things could be consistent. Thanks for being patient, and for the kind messages! In this episode I talk about my love/hate relationship with deep half guard, and why I'm currently staying away from it as a primary guard. I also talk a little bit about the instructional that I'll be filming this July. I think it'll be unique, something new to the table, and I hope that folks are able to enjoy it! Much love!!!

We're back! On this episode we're talking about Rafa Mendes, his protege Cole Abate, and Rafa's contributions to the NoGi world. Below are some links from some of the techniques and rolling moments discussed in the episode. Thanks for bearing with me. I've had a summer filled with a lot of loss and illness; life goes on, and I'll continue to strive to make the best of life! I appreciate everyone's support so much! Shouts to Less Impressed More Involved's BJJ's Rafa Mendes video this week: Rafa Mendes vids: Anaconda Choke LessonGuillotine Choke LessonRafa anaconda vs Andre GalvaoRafa armlock from arm saddle vs Andre GalvaoRafa darce vs Keenan Cornelius false reapRafa anaconda vs Cole Abate false reapNoGi Leg Drag lessonRafa guard retention studyRafa NoGi FlowRafa NoGi Highlight Some things I didn't cover in the episode were tempo shifts--moments of speeding up and slowing down. Rafa told us that was a critical element of his JiuJitsu. A massive thing that I didn't discuss is Rafa was one of the first people to really seek out the bottom arm seatbelt (weak side) back control position, and strongly advocated body triangles over hooks. Rafa and his brother Gui also notoriously avoided playing half guard, and they thought it was a poor position for smaller grapplers on bottom position. They were also huge proponents of 'active toes' and not playing top positions on the tops of the feet. 

In the aftermath of Tye Ruotolo vs Garry Tonon, I expect to see Tye being a strong favorite to make the 88kg finals at ADCC, and I see Garry Tonon going into ADCC potentially looking better than ever at 77kg. People not looking at Tye as one of the best pound-for-pound guys on the planet are insane, and people writing Garry off after this loss are also insane. 

We cover a lot in today's episode--heel hooks for recreational players, as well as a super simple tip to get heel hooked less often, as well as ideas on how to start breaking down rolling footage and competition footage for study. To close out, the basics of 'inside position' are discussed, and how this can be learned through studying tape. Links: The Andrew Wiltse heel hook video and 'Ballerina Foot' heel hook defense video by Craig Jones talked about, as well as a link to The Goldtown MMA YouTube Channel. Thanks to BMac/10th Planet Decatur for sponsoring the podcast! Here's a link to BMac's Jedi Archive, updated weekly with content. The promo code JEDIDOLLAR will get you one month of access for $1, and it's $29 per month after that: https://bmac.mykajabi.com/a/18466/3rnpEzsV

Thanks for being patient with me, everyone! Today's episode is all about the mount.  BTW, thanks to BMac/10th Planet Decatur for sponsoring the podcast! Here's a link to BMac's Jedi Archive, updated weekly with content. The promo code JEDIDOLLAR will get you one month of access for $1, and it's $29 per month after that: https://bmac.mykajabi.com/a/18466/3rnpEzsVThe mount is criminally slept on until the upper levels of the game. Some huge tips to improve your mount are staying relaxed, because dead weight = heavy weight. Using your head to pin their head, using the soles of your feet to "palm" their thighs, and using punch or Ezekiel choke threats to kill the kipping escapes are also helpful. Some useful videos: Gordon Ryan's Mount GameBMac Punch Choke HighlightCraig Jones Ezekiel ChokeSeph Smith Arm Triangle TipsThe Kipping Escape

ADCC has an incredibly unusual ruleset and point system. To help everyone get more familiar with these rules before the West Coast Trials this weekend on Flograppling (https://www.flograppling.com/events/7379684-2022-adcc-west-coast-trial) I wanted to talk about some of the unique aspects of this tournament. I've been watching ADCC live since 2009, and despite becoming very familiar with the rules over the years, there are even a couple new things I didn't know until recording this.For some footage of things referenced...here's the Craig Jones vs Mason Fowler match from 2019 where you can see multiple instances of Craig not getting scored on due to him having a submission locked up while going from top to bottom. The link is time-coded to 7:44. Notice Craig is never on bottom in this transition for more than 3 seconds without the guillotine locked up. As long as that guillotine is on, points can't be scored against him: https://youtu.be/Quwf3HA9d20?t=464 Also, at 8:41 (https://youtu.be/Quwf3HA9d20?t=521) Craig rolls for a kimura and ends up on bottom, but because he initiated the kimura, points are not scored.Here is the moment where Rafa Mendes avoided a -1 in the finals for ending up in guard because he initiated an anaconda choke on Cobrinha: https://youtu.be/5-IZHyH1Vro?t=114 and again later in the same match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-IZHyH1Vro&t=359sHere's the exact moment in the Keenan Cornelius vs Romulo Barral match where Keenan was gets a -1 for having a knee on the mat for 3 seconds during the points-period (2nd half) of the match: https://youtu.be/4Ij4DaVhhO4?t=474Here's the Gordon Ryan vs Xande match I referenced in regards to regulation vs OT having more weight in the event of a judge's decision: https://www.flograppling.com/video/6012782-xande-ribeiro-vs-gordon-ryan-adcc-2017-world-championshipsFeel free to reach out to me anytime at https://www.instagram.com/drewdarce/

Wanted to post some quick thoughts after last night's WNO event. 

Sorry for the brief hiatus! Out of town the past 2 weekends competing and coaching, as well as doing podcasts for BJJ Mental Models and The Grappling Discourse. This episode is a bit of a departure--I wanted to talk about a new interest that has developed for me within our sport, as well as the differences between the 3 hats that have to be worn by most upper belts and teachers in the art (instructor, coach, and mentor). I also would love to know if any of you have any new interests in the sport, or even outside of the sport, and I'd love to get some questions for a new Q&A portion of the podcast. Feel free to DM me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drewdarce/) or if you don't have IG, you can reach me here: https://www.reddit.com/user/Darce_Knight/Next episode we'll finally get to that unique ADCC info! Much love to everyone! 

When we have bad training sessions, they usually fall into 2 categories. In this episode, we break down these major categories and some approaches to handling these experiences. This is important not only to improve, but more importantly to keep us optimistic and from circling the drain with negative thoughts and feelings about this very demanding sport. Also, I was on my friend Mat Skaff's podcast yesterday talking about ADCC History, some of the best matches there, ADCC 2022, and some other ADCC trivia. If you want to listen to that, it's here: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/6MdgixoEtorqteqvYxbzLI?si=UKDZs0mnSQqajp0fc9Amhg Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adcc-history-with-drew-darce/id1483521780?i=1000553233494

People have been asking for a Darce episode, so finally...here goes. I briefly cover a couple of the most common misconceptions that lead to sub-par (or even failed) darces, as well as a couple of simple drills that you can do with a training partner to land more of these techniques.Me explaining some benefits of the marce angle finish:  https://youtu.be/Hc4b0YgOCUYMe showing the rolling darce to land in the marce angle: https://youtu.be/X8RMfkHra54One of the drills I referenced can be viewed here by Ryan Hall: https://streamable.com/hl2c9a Unfortunately, his darce/arm triangle DVD is no longer in print, but you can support him via his new instructionals at ryanhallonline.com.  Craig Jones rolling session landing a half dozen darces finishing from different angles (mainly the ones mentioned in the episode): https://youtu.be/op9sU2Mf9YIKade and Tye Ruotolo darce highlight: https://youtu.be/eg1Wf8wCpIERyan Hall mounted darce: https://streamable.com/2mlvusRyan Hall rolling darce: https://streamable.com/yqznz5Me landing a Marce in a brown belt gi match: https://youtu.be/XxfM5gJDJRI?t=71Oldest footage I can find of me doing a mounted darce in 2012: https://youtu.be/xOhY2rwEDP0Big shout outs to some of the folks that have helped my darce game: Ryan Hall, Bill Cooper, David Porter, Jeff Glover, Brandon Mccaghren, Craig Jones, Kade & Tye Ruotolo, Garry Tonon. 

Today's episode is inspired by Ethan Crelinsten (B-Team athlete/instructor and John Danaher black belt). I had the opportunity to train with Ethan and get some rolls in during March of 2021. The thing that stood out the most was Ethan would fully lock up subs on everyone, and then let go and move to another submission or offensive transition.There are 3 critical skills for getting great at submissions, and here we are focused on #2.1. Moving from static positions into submissions.2. Moving from submissions to other submissions.3. Precise finishing mechanics for different submissions.There are lots of benefits to training this way. We get more mat hours logged on offense in a specific area that is often neglected. It helps us develop creativity and see doorways between different subs that we might not see otherwise. This can also be a great tool for us if we are tired, because we don't have to reset the round and then find our way back to another situation where we are firmly in the driver's seat.Unfortunately, I don't have any footage of Ethan rolling in that manner during that day, but I did want to post some awesome rolling footage of Ethan, where you can see his hyper-offensive style in action. He has a great blend of positional dominance while always hunting the submission. The first 2 links are from rolls filmed this month at B-Team, and the 3rd link is on my list for most slept on matches of the 2010's, Ethan vs Jon Blank at Show The Art Finishers. Also, you can listen to Ethan Crelinsten on Tom Halpin's newest episode of Inside Position: https://www.insidepositionpodcast.com/e/s1e19/Ethan rolling #1 (Flo account required): https://tinyurl.com/2p88uukfEthan rolling #2 (2022): https://youtu.be/YIMwa4GkC_EEthan rolling #3 (2022): https://youtu.be/692WtHjtvrgEthan vs Jon Blank (2018): https://youtu.be/3cIAQ9j0yfUFor lots more upcoming rolling footage from Ethan, check out Goldtown MMA's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9JctPD4O9rtiskhh2TkAEw/videos

"I wasn't a good student, and even now I never say I am better than anybody, but I know I love jiu-jitsu more than anybody." - Marcelo Garcia. 2010. Flashback to May of 2007. The legendary Marcelo Garcia is a 2x ADCC champion, and more importantly is The People's Champ. He's on a quest to get double gold medals at his 3rd ADCC. 3rd time's the charm--he's submitted all 7 of 7 opponents in regulation on his way to the Absolute Finals, and he's the smallest man by 24 lbs / 11kgs to get this far (and to this day, no one else has accomplished either feat.) We are about to see the single greatest display in the history of submission grappling. And yet...Marcelo falls short of Absolute Gold and loses by submission to Robert Drysdale. When Marcelo was asked what he could have done different, he smiled and said simply, "I need to be faster."  Marcelo also joked and said he actually did have 8 for 8 submissions for the weekend...if you included the one where he himself tapped! He could've made so many excuses, but instead he made none while also not taking himself too seriously. I always loved this story, as told by Josh Waitzkin and Sam Sheridan in The Fighter's Mind. Josh was Marcelo's 1st black belt, and the subject of the film, Searching for Bobby Fischer, about his time as a young chess prodigy.  Josh states, "Marcelo doesn't think in shades of grey. Everything is black and white...I'm more of a grey-type guy, so it can be frustrating, because at times Marcelo seems overly simple. But it's incredibly powerful...In the chess world, there were plenty of guys like him who I envied, guys with pure clarity and no existential dilemmas, without angst..."We all could be a little more like Marcelo Garcia. =) Whether it's on the mats, or in life, relationships, family/friends, careers, etc, I appreciate the beauty and simplicity of this type of thinking. It doesn't come naturally to me, but I want to take the next month to strive to find one through-line or theme where I think I can improve in in Jiu-Jitsu, relationships, career goals, family, friends, etc, and pursue that one theme in each of those areas. And even if we can't be like him on the mats, we can borrow a valuable method that he uses to solve problems in order to improve our own lives. I also find it admirable that Marcelo went out on his shield, and I've noticed in my own life that I could stand to take more risks. Big shout outs to Riccardo Ammendolia for his historical highlights and analysis of Marcelo Garcia! I watched some of the footage below in researching this episode. PS. This is the first but certainly not the last time we will talk about Marcelo on this podcast!  - Video essay exploring Marcelo Garcia's overall ADCC greatness: https://youtu.be/c6it1SsW8TI- Marcelo's historic RNC over Shaolin at ADCC 2003: https://youtu.be/X_8O-fq-NI4 - Highlight of all of Marcelo's 2005 ADCC Matches: https://youtu.be/sia_yuGN5qI- Highlight of all of Marcelo's 2007 ADCC Matches: https://youtu.be/j-ZbtfIfUtY- Marcelo's ADCC 2007 Absolute Finals loss: https://youtu.be/OQzpE8kiZtE?t=8 - Marcelo Garcia Highlight video by Rob Degle: https://youtu.be/5fV7YYgE9OM- Amazon Link to The Fighter's Mind & The Art of Learning: https://tinyurl.com/bdej6r5z & https://tinyurl.com/yckzyby5)

In part 2 of our deep dive into the guillotine position, we cover 5 practical tips that you can use to hit more guillotines. Regardless of what style guillotine you prefer (high-wrist, high-elbow, arm-in, etc), you should be able to implement all 5 of these concepts to submit more people with the guillotine, as well as use it as a robust position to help you advance to other great movements, techniques, and positions. There is another Google Doc here as well as an Instagram and Reddit post with video examples of some of the concepts discussed here. If you didn't listen to last week's episode, I recommend listening to that for a breakdown of all the primary styles of guillotine, as well as watching the companion footage of those guillotines in action.  Big shout outs to Cody Maltais, David Porter, Matt Skaff, Brandon 'BMac' Mccaghren, and Ryan Hall for a lot of the concepts discussed in this episode. Big shoutout to John Salter and Joe Solecki for forcing me to sharpen up guillotine offense. New Google Doc for Part 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qqggqOJZp1uAq9XervTrGy6yMTocHLLhArwmatxS92U/New Reddit post for Part 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/smorf1/part_2_of_the_guillotine_deep_dive_podcast/Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/drewdarce/

This week we dive deep into the world of guillotine chokes. On part 1 of this series, we'll examine each of the main styles of guillotine. We'll also take a look at the progression of each guillotine style's popularity within the art, the history behind the main styles of guillotine, and some of the best athletes to watch for each style. To view the matches and rolling footage discussed during the podcast, visit the Google Doc below, the link in my Instagram bio below, or the Reddit post below. DM me if you have any issues accessing the folder. If you use a VPN, you may need to disable it to access the Doc, and then re-enable it once you do. - Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_kRxNAFPGkjoxzOyznEm45nndUNbspoTWmV3U3di4b4/- Instagram Bio: https://www.instagram.com/drewdarce/ - Reddit Post:  https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/sh2d3w/tons_of_research_match_and_rolling_footagedeep/Lastly, please let me know if this type of episode is something you'd like to get more of. It was a ton of work, and I'm happy to do more if it if people like it. If this isn't what the people want though, I'm fine to leave it as a one-off experiment. I'll also keep updating the Google Doc as time goes on. 

This week I make the case for verbal tapping (even when it might seem unnecessary) as well as the culture around tapping in BJJ, and how I think instructors could do a better job of teaching the skill of tapping to new students. I'm tired from a long road trip, so this episode is shorter than usual. The next episode will be a longer one focused on the pros and cons of various guillotine grips and finishes (low vs high wrist; arm-in vs arm-out, etc.) Everyone have fun training, and stay safe! 

Training while traveling is one of the best experiences we can have during our BJJ journeys. Here are some tips on logistics and etiquette when training on the road, as well as some things to keep in mind for your the growth of your game and skills. 

These days there are more and more questions about what moves are fair game and what moves are jerk moves. Let's go over some different categories of moves, and get an idea of what's fair game, what's rude, and what doesn't fly. This episode was recorded a while back, but it seemed appropriate to drop after some recent questions I've been seeing on this topic.