Gracie Mag Grapple Arts
Don’t miss out. The Leticia Ribeiro seminar has some limited availability. Sign up for one day/two days or the BADASS pass all three days.
Thank you to the Sweaty Betties crew and all the sponsors who have contributed to the success of this event. You find more information about this training camp of facebook. Look for sweaty betties. Promises to be one BADASS camp
We’re giving a shout out to Sweaty Bettys for organizing the Leticia Ribeiro women’s only seminar to be held Dec. 7-9, 2012 at Fight and fitness in San Francisco. This promises to be one heck of a weekend for the ladies. Leticia Ribeiro earned her black belt under Royler Gracie and is a living legend in the sport of jiu jitsu. Here’s a wiki referenced list of her titles over the years. You can sign up for this awesome seminar at event bright.
Titles
I recently received my blue belt from Professor Eduardo Rocha. The following is an excerpt from the biography of Professor Rocha. 
“Eduardo Rocha is a world-class competitor and teacher. He currently holds a 4th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Royler Gracie. He has competed in Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and professional vale tudo fights, and has extensive experience in competitons. He will teach you how to win! He brings to the Bay Area a modern approach featuring the latest techniques straight from Brazil.
Eduardo learned Jiu Jitsu with the Gracie Family under direct supervision of Master Helio Gracie in Rio de Janeiro, where he was awarded his black belt in 1996. He was the assistant instructor in the Gracie Humaita academy in Rio de Janeiro for many years, gaining invaluable experience and knowledge to teach the best aspects of Gracie Jiu Jitsu.” Please check out Oaklandbjj.com
I initially started martial arts training in Kuk sool won with the legendary Master Sung Jin Suh. Kuk sool won is traditional Korean style 
martial arts that focuses on building internal ki through hyungs and weapons training. Twelve years later I was awarded my second dahn. Kuk sool won is in my blood and I will always be indebted and grateful for the foundation and training I received from master Suh. It made me a better person and it helped to fix my “fast personality” as master Suh called it. Three years ago I started training Brazilian jiu jitsu. Two of those years I have trained with Professor Rocha and several of his world class black belts at the only Gracie Humaita recognized academy in the bay area. Oaklandbjj.com Along the way I have won a few tournaments and lost a few. I have to say I’ve learned more in the loosing than in the winning. Loosing is really a test of character. Winning is easy. I am extremely proud of this accomplishment and give thanks to all those who have helped me become not only a better jiu jitsu player but a better person. So now the journey begins. I can best describe it as a journey of humility.
So I want to start today’s lesson by talking about a very common error made by many new BJJ practitioners. Take a look at the photo below. I’m lying there with my ankles uncrossed. My legs aren’t controlling my opponent in at all.
I want to make this crystal clear: what I’m demonstrating above is NOT the closed guard. It’s not even the open guard.
It’s an in-between, good-for-nothing position with very few offensive options. If I use it on a good opponent he’ll realize what’s going on and pass my guard in one or two quick moves.
So with the closed guard you’re either in or out. Keep him tightly controlled between your legs, or bite the bullet and move to the open guard position of your choice.
Even if you specialize in the closed guard there will be times that you’re going to end up in the open guard. Therefore knowing the correct way to get from the closed guard to the open guard is a very important skill to master.
Here is one way to do just that:
Four Steps from Closed to Open Guard
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Angle 1
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Angle 2
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| I have Don in my closed guard |  |
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| Opening my legs I plant my right foot on the ground |  |
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| My left foot goes on Don’s hip and I move my hips backwards to create some space. |  |
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| I then put my other foot on the hip to establish a form of open guard. |  |
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This move may seem simple, but it needs to be drilled many times so that it becomes absolutely instinctive.
Funny as it may sound, once you learn this movement you then need to remember to use it in sparring. If you’re busy trying to break your opponent’s posture and/or set up an attack it’s easy to forget about the lower half of your body and just let your legs dangle in the air doing nothing.
Remember: you’re either in closed guard, or you’re in a specific form of open guard. Don’t lie there in an in-between position; that’s the twilight zone where you’re neither controlling your opponent nor preventing his guard pass.
You can read more about Stephen Kesting’s closed guard to open guard transitions tips at grapplearts and beginning bjj. Others promise. He delivers.
women’s international jiu jitsu federation
