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Dear Frustrated
Grappler,
Let’s face it, grappling’s tough!
And with
the influx of younger and stronger wrestlers and punks joining gyms
around the world every day that just want to fight and you’re an easy
mark for them, it ain’t gonna getting any easier.
Unfortunately, it’s grapplers like you and
me that get caught up and wind up on the receiving end of the mat abuse.
And no matter what we try, whether it’s a new
technique that we saw on the internet, a grappling magazine, or some move
from our DVD collection, it still difficult to stop them from thrashing
you on the mat, both physically and mentally.
It’s enough to make most people quit training and I was pretty darn close to doing the same
thing myself because I remember when mat life was a LIVING HELL for me! And when I say hell… I mean 100 percent
misery!
Imagine training
with multiple partners that ALWAYS
triangled and armbarred you whenever they felt like doing it. And no matter how many triangle escapes
you saw, tried, or read about to stop them… NOTHING worked!
Or how about
partners that would openly trash-talked,
cheap-shot, and blatantly disrespect my grappling technique (both
on and off the mat), including a guy from out-of-town that stopped by a
few times a year to train.
Come on, now. Being disrespected is bad enough… but
by a guy that’s NOT even part of your school? That’s ridiculous!
And as I look back,
two words come to mind to describe those days… frustrated and hopeless.
So, you’re probably wondering how I deal with
those two situations?
I didn’t.
In fact, I
ran from them every chance I got just to avoid them because I was scared,
plain and simple. I’m ashamed
to admit the fact that repeatedly lied, faked injuries or being sick, and
every other lame excuse I could create on a moment’s notice just to avoid
training or being disrespected.
And no matter how much I yelled at myself for
being a punk when I got in to my car and banged my fist in disgust on the
steering wheel, nothing changed…
except my excuses for leaving before my nightly mat beating.
To my credit, I did
try to stop from getting “punked” me on the mat all the time. I just went
about it the wrong way by thinking all I needed was a “super technique” that would work
against every opponent. Once I found
that, I would stop being submitted and that would give me the right mat
attitude to have during a match.
So, I went searching
for my new “super technique”
by asking my coach one day for the “best” triangle/armbar escape to use
to keep from getting submitted. And
after he looked at me for a few minutes on the mat sparring,
And as he watched me
get triangled again, the ONLY
thing he said to me…
“You need to fix your posture!”
I’d like to say that
I was excited by what he said to me, but that would be a complete lie. In fact, I remember being kind of pissed
off and feeling like he didn’t want to help me by telling me that
crap!
But once I stopped
whining about what he should’ve given me and did what he said…
It worked… instantly!
From that moment on,
me getting submitted by a
triangle or armbar all but disappeared. I stopped getting caught in armbar and
triangles and was starting to get my confidence back in the guard.
Before I left the
gym that day, I remember sitting on the mat and thinking about what had
happened. The one thing that had made my mat life a living hell for
almost a year got fixed in a few minutes by me correcting a commonly
overlooked mistake, NOT by learning another technique!
From that day
forward, whenever I couldn’t get a technique to work or control an
opponent in a position, I started focusing on what I was doing wrong
instead of trying to find another technique to mask the problem.
And when I would
watch my teammates and students make the same mistakes (with the same
failed outcome), I realized there were common mistakes that we making that gave us all the same mat
frustration.
That’s when I created
a “Common Mistakes Checklist”,
which later became a major component of the “10 Common Grappling Mistakes & Mat Attitudes” Training
Package.
Ok, you’ve know
about the “common mistakes”, but you’re probably asking yourself what’s
the “mat attitudes” thing?
Well, the “mat
attitudes” are the 10 mat
mindsets needed by every grappler to deal with certain training situations
that can and will occur during casual sparring or competition. The “mat attitudes” are designed to
deal with unorthodox and even potentially hostile mat situations that the
grappler needs to be able to deal with personally, NOT with the help of the instructor.
Need an example of
what I mean?
Ok, let’s go back to
where I was talking about the out-of-towner that would come thru and punk
me on my home turf. That guy had absolutely no respect
for me and telling the instructor about it would’ve only made it
worse with a guy like him.
I had to learn how
to deal with the same intimidation mat attitude that he was using on me
and be able to turn it back on him as well.
And that’s exactly
what I did. I matched his every
step… trash-talking, intimidation (on and off the mat), and cheap shot-for-cheap
shot when needed. And once he saw
that I was willing to give back to him what he gave to me, I made him respect
me and he did it willingly!
That’s what the “10
Mat Attitudes” are about… being
able to establish and maintain the right mental focus during a match,
whether it’s a technical match or an all out brawl with a mat thug.
I know that many
would like to think that mat intimidation and bullying doesn’t occur or
that it doesn’t happen at their school. But all that can
change one day just by having 1-2 new guys join their gym and start
smashing them relentlessly.
And since they not
used to it, they’ll start
panicking and making excuses to get out of training because they
won’t know how to deal with it… unless they know about the “10 Mat
Attitudes.”
Imagine never having to suffer…
·
Being scared and worried about what your
partners are going to do to you during a match because you can ‘weather
their storm” AND dish it out as needed
·
Cheap
shots, being manhandled and feeling helpless by mat thug partners
·
Faking injuries or making excuses for leaving class
early to duck a partners
·
Embarrassment
while asking an instructor to not match you up with a certain partner
because you’re scared of them
·
Trash-talking from teammates and instructor
that call you soft and make fun of you for not being “hardcore” like them
·
Getting
caught in the same submissions over and over again because someone
finally pointed out the small yet very important detail (keeping you from
repeating the same mistakes)
And the information
contained in the “10 Common
Mistakes & Mat Attitudes” Package isn’t rocket science.
It’s just mat strategies and concepts that 99
percent of coaches, instructors, and even people making instructional
DVDs neglect to tell you because they’re too busy teaching you another
technique that’ll make the you and the crowd go “oooooh!”
Think about it… what
good is it learning a flying triangle when you can’t stop ANYONE from
passing your guard? Crazy.
I
know…you probably think I'm a little crazy.
But if you suspend
your skepticism just a little longer, read every single word of this message, and accept my risk-free challenge, I
guarantee you’ll notice an immediate difference on the mat in less than
30 days!
And just in case you don’t know who I am,
my name is Paul Greenhill (aka
The Wise Grappler), the #1 Grappling Authority for the Older and
Recreational Grappler and the creator of the…
“10 Common Mistakes and 10 Mat
Attitudes” Package
The “10 Common Mistake & Mat Attitudes
Package” consist of the:
- 10
Common Grappling Mistakes and How to Avoid Them” DVD
- 10 Mat Attitudes for Grappling Success
Audio CD
- 10
Mat Attitudes for Grappling Success Companion DVD
- 10 Mat Attitudes for Grappling Success
Manual
And the good news is
all of the mat mistakes and mindsets are small changes that are simple
and easy to implement.
These
10 Common Mistake and 10 Mat Attitudes Could Skyrocket Your Mat Success
In fact, I would say
the combined 20 mat strategies (mistakes and attitudes) could be easily implemented
in your grappling toolbox, making an immediate impact in your mat
performance in less than 2 weeks, 30 days max!
Like I said
before, they ARE that simple.
Here’s
What’s Inside The “10 Common Mistakes” Package:
- What
are the best and worst top and bottom positions to rest during a
match
- The difference
between “Forcing vs. Initiating” a reaction and best time to do both
- How to keep “Lazy Hands and Feet” from
making your open and closed guard as easy to slice through as melted
butter
- What is the “Hate Face” and how mastering
it will allow you to “disguise” your mat strategy from your
opponents (making your attacks undetectable and nearly unbeatable)
- Why
EVERY grappler needs to know how to be a "mat thug" to
keep from being abused by mat punks, regardless of how much of a “nice
guy” you are
- The TRUTH about intimidation
and why EVERY grappler needs to know how to “punk” other grapplers
on and off the mat
- Learn
the simple attitude that’ll help you shut down EVERY offensive
attempt by your opponent (leaving them to feeling helpless as a
child playing real basketball game with an adult)
- The WORST, brain-dead thing you can do
while attacking an opponent
- Learn
the right and wrong way to grab your opponent to keep from getting
"Popeye Arms" during a match
- The grappling
rule: “Good___, lousy ___ !”
and how breaking this rule destroys your submission rate
- Discover
why grapplers wait too long to transition to
the next position and how it works against them
- The TRUTH about using your bodyweight at
all times during a match and why most instructors don’t teach it
- A
BIG MISTAKE: why fighting into your opponent’s strengths is
disastrous for you during a match and the mat attitude designed
specifically to deal with an opponent that’s technically superior
than you
- THE #1 mindset technique that’s
practically guaranteed to get your opponent’s focus off the match
and on you
- The
TRUTH about “Control Grips vs. Strangling Grips”
- Ever been taught that it’s ok to deliberately
trash-talk your opponents before, during and after a match? If not, you will and enjoy doing
it
- The
BEST and WORST times to move away from
opponent during a match
- Do you have a “comeback” mode in you that
will allow you to snatch victory from defeat? You will after hearing
this mat attitude
- Do
you the right attitude to hold on to a victory when you’re opponent’s
coming at you with everything they’ve got, with you’re barely
holding by a thread and looking to quit? If you don’t have it now, you will
after you understand the principles behind the “30 Seconds to Glory”
Mindset
- Discover the #1 reason why grapplers get armbarred and triangle constantly (and the “right”
way to fix it)
- Why knowing how to intimidate (as well as stand up to a
mat bully) is mandatory skill every grappler MUST possess
- The 2 types of trash-talking
and why you need to be able to use both on the mat as needed
- Ever had your butt kicked during a match and wanted to
get even? Of course you have,
but now you don’t have to feel bad about doing it once you learn
about “Payback” attitude
- Ever taken your mat rival’s desire
to fight and forced them to run off the mat because you’ve broken
their spirit? If not, learn
this mat attitude and you can start doing it today
PLUS: A Few More Tips TOO Good
To Even Hint At...
Think about it. By combining just a few of these mat strategies, you could easily
become “tough as nails” mentally and practically impossible to submit by
lower and even some higher-ranked grapplers.
Sound good? You bet it does...
Here's the big
idea. You don't have to waste your time or money taking private
lessons outside of class so you can learn that “super technique” that only you know to beat your mat
rival or live in absolute fear every time you step on the mat that you’re
going to take a beating like someone cleaning a rug.
Just do what I did because it works!
Learning from my
bumps, bruises, and frustrations is
like walking behind a guy in a minefield with a mine detector and knows
what spots to avoid. He knows where the mines are. You don't.
The smartest thing you can do is follow close behind instead of figuring
it out for yourself.
This is your
chance to do just that.
Read here now to see what others are
saying about these remarkable grappling concepts after they saw a “sneak
preview” of some of the “10 Common
Mistakes & Mat Attitudes” Video Clips:
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"The
more I learn about ground work, the more I see the comparison to music
being accurate. Paul, in this piece, stresses the concept of strategy
being of utmost importance."
Okay, I’m going to wax philosophical
here.
The more I learn about ground work, the
more I see the comparison to music being accurate. Paul, in this piece,
stresses the concept of strategy being of utmost importance. Music requires
composition (strategy) to make a song composed of notes (techniques)
and pauses (rests) as well as how they are combined (transitions) to
make music.
This video stresses the importance of
knowing when to rest often being just as important as to when and what
move to make.
Excellent stuff for young and old.
Mark Hauck, PA
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"That mindset you’re talking about is
especially important for me to keep in mind, as I usually don’t have
the option of falling back on brute strength to hold my position
against the larger guys in the class.”
Master Paul:
Great words and great advice. I’m easily the oldest guy in my
class, and at 5′6″ & 155lbs, also the smallest. That
mindset you’re talking about is especially important for me to keep in
mind, as I usually don’t have the option of falling back on brute
strength to hold my position against the larger guys in the class.
My coach (who speaks very highly of you and what you’ve taught
him) and now you have been insistent on stressing technique and the
proper mental game over sheer muscle.
Thanks again.
Corey Morgan, MD
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"Paul always does a great job to find the
grappling principle you should employ and not just cheap techniques.
Combined with his ability to communicate and break things down, it
makes his teaching invaluable…"
Paul always does a great job to find the grappling principle you
should employ and not just cheap techniques. Combined with his ability
to communicate and break things down, it makes his teaching invaluable, and not just for OGs like
me. Trust me, I have trained and studied under the best of the
Brazilians, and they may know these things, but they just do not teach
the over-arching principles that we should be stringing together.
Thank you Paul, and please keep it coming!
Paul LaPorte, CA
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"I have realized before the
importance of strategic placements of feet and hands when defending the
guard but I have never come across the approach of stressing having all
four limbs working at the same time and NOT having anyone taking the
day off!"
Paul:
I
think this was very helpful. I am thinking a lot about the different
states/paces of being “active”, passive, explosive as well as slow. I
have realized before the importance of strategic placements of feet and
hands when defending the guard but I have never come across the
approach of stressing having all four limbs working at the same time
and NOT having anyone taking the day off! Very good!
Thanks
a lot!
Mattias Womack, NY
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“Thanks, Paul. This one reinforces what I’ve learned
myself and having you put the exclamation point to it really makes this
stick.”
Thanks, Paul.
This one reinforces what I’ve learned myself and having you put the
exclamation point to it really makes this stick.
“Weathering the
storm” is something as an OG (52) I’ve made myself adopt with mostly
the newer white belts. They’ll blow themselves out and make the tap
easy as long as I don’t try to go “muscle or muscle” with them.
Appreciate the good
advice and I need to make some time and view the other videos you’ve
published these past few weeks.
Keith Reynolds, TX
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"I
can honestly say I have you to thank Paul for looking at the game from
a different perspective and realizing Bullying and Posturing is
psychological and you can play the same game and can be distracting to
the point that it can open up opportunities for you."
Great
tip, Paul. I have the OG Video [Clinic] 1 where you expound on this
exact subject and it has helped me immensely.
I
am naturally a laid back, try-to-be nice guy, but we get new guys in
the gym that come once or maybe for a week that are muscled up wrestler
types and look at you like you’re their grappling dummy. I used to look
down, look away, smile, laugh a little before sparring and I was shook
before we ever engaged out of shyness and timidity.
Now,
I have much more confidence and will look them eye-to-eye,
nose-to-nose, send the message to them that I’m not their doormat and
they are going to have a war on their hands before sparring even
starts. An interesting thing I’ve noticed is even a smaller/medium
sized guy like me giving them the treatment tends to disorient and
catch them by surprise because they are used to being the alphas and
having the other guy at a mental disadvantage through the match and
it’s just not there.
When
sparring, I am only as rude with techniques/return bullying as they give
me reason to be. But if they push, they will get pushed back plus a
little.
I
can honestly say I have you to thank Paul for looking at the game from
a different perspective and realizing Bullying and Posturing is
psychological and you can play the same game and can be distracting to
the point that it can open up opportunities for you.
Thanks
again,
Chris C.,
UK
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“I sincerely wish I would have had access to your
videos 10 years ago when I first set out on this long road. I truly
believe I would have advanced at a much quicker rate."
"Paul, I look
forward to this new video set. As you know, there are a myriad of
techniques available through DVD, internet, private instruction etc.
I’ve spent years
acquiring these techniques by any means necessary. I focused so much on
building a repertoire of moves that I could pull out in any situation.
After countless
hours of research, I built a huge arsenal of attacks, sweeps and
escapes. What I found however, was that these moves in many cases were
useless to me.
Why? I lacked the
strategic framework necessary to implement the moves at the optimum
time. For the past year or so, I have begun whittling down my game,
trying in essence to “simplify the noise”. I now focus on a handful of
techniques that are high percentage moves. Beyond that, I look to use
them at the optimum time – maximum efficiency, minimum effort.
I sincerely wish
I would have had access to your videos 10 years ago when I first set
out on this long road. I truly believe I would have advanced at a much
quicker rate.
Thank you for finally
providing the why, the when, and the how.
-- Nadera
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And that’s not all you’re going to get with the “10 Common Mistakes & Mat
Attitudes” Package. To celebrate my 45th Birthday
(August 9, 2009), for a LIMITED TIME ONLY, I’m throwing in an amazing “Wise
Grappler Birthday Gift” from me to you by giving you a FREE copy of the…
21 Mat Laws of Grappling Audio Program!
Have you ever wished that someone
would’ve given you a set of grappling principles or “laws” to follow as a
white belt that would tell you EXACTLY
how to progress as a grappler quickly, helping you avoid many of the
training obstacles associated with grappling that derail many along the
way? That’s exactly what I had in
mind when I created the “21 Mat
Laws of Grappling” Audio
Program.
In this new training resource, I discuss the training principles (or
“laws”) from my training notes as a BJJ Purple and Brown Belt that pushed
me out of my stagnation point that I refer to as my “Purple Belt Wasteland” (with 4 yrs at that rank and considered
quitting BJJ) and transformed me into a totally re-energized BJJ Black
Belt 2.5 yrs later. I’d like to think if I’d been
given this information as a white belt that I wouldn’t have ended up in
the “wasteland” at all.
Included on this audio CD and manual, I
discuss technical and strategic “mat laws” that every grappler needs, but
are so often ignored by most instructors, like Law #5 (Don’t Think Too Much During the Match), Law #8 (Always Have a
Second Move From Every Position) and Law
#11 (Protect My “Box” at All Times, Whether Standing or on My
Back) (Valued at $44).
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