Biohazard on the mat

I walk into class tonight and the first person I see is Bingo, which is awesome. I got to congratulate him on his promotion to purple belt. He's a terrific guy, a great training partner and is a big part of the school family. Congrats, Bing!

That was great. Then guys start filing in and it's all my favorite guys to train with. The guys who just routinely kick my butt. Bill, Thad, Todd, Josh (training for his August 22nd professional MMA debut), Bing and big Mike... along with a great crew of white belts who are all tough guys. So, Friday night is shaping up.

Then James gives me back my ShoYoRoll, all freshly pimped out with club patches sewed on by his mom (who is one of the nicest people around). Thanks, Mrs. Foster! I really appreciate it. It looks awesome and I immediately changed into it to wear it at class. So, all around, I'm feeling great. Cool guys, pimpin' Super-Lite gi... then it happens.

Rolling with Sam, I get a deep cross collar choke from guard and his nose erupts... all over my awesome, WHITE gi. Bing rolled with Sam before me and caught him repeatedly with what is now called the Roger Gracie choke (because he won all of his matches at the Mundials with it). I got some water on it right away and changed into my other top. Reminded Sam about it multiple times and mentioned that if he wouldn't stick his finger in his nose all the time, it wouldn't bleed like that. In all seriousness, I don't think it's any big deal... except that it's my brand new, white gi. :)

The rest of class was great. Got good rolls with Todd, Thad, Bing, and twice with Josh. I did a lot of tapping, but felt good about my rolls. Josh said he's worried about my guard pass, doesn't give me any space anymore and pushes the pace when we roll (not that I ever actually pass his guard). Thad mentioned that my top game is getting tight and that it was noticeably improved over the last 6 months.

So, overall, I feel really good. Oh, and when I got home I used some detergent to pretreat the blood, ran it through the wash and it came out no problem. Catastrophe averted.

Washing the BJJ Gi

Or, in other words, “Dude, your gi reeks.” This is a public service announcement.

My wife does the lion’s share of laundry in our house, but I wash my BJJ gear. A very basic question that I hear a lot has to do with how to care for the gi. Most gis will come with manufacturer recommendations, and of course, you will seldom go wrong to follow them. That said, they are typically along the lines of washing cold and line drying, along with never using bleach. While I agree 100% about not using bleach, the rest is at least debatable.

In BJJ, we sweat as much or more than any other style of martial art, and there are a lot of reasons why. We work really hard. Although that’s not unique to BJJ, it’s one reason. Another is that, because grappling is rigorous, the BJJ kimono tends to be well constructed of a thick, durable weave. A heavy weight Karate Gi is often around 12 oz, which is about where the student grade BJJ gi starts.

In recent years, strong but lightweight BJJ kimonos are coming onto the market. The Gameness Pearl, Koral’s Competition Light gi, and most recently, the ShoYoRoll Super-Lite are just a few notable examples. This new type of gi is much lighter at about 3.5 to 4 lbs, easier to wash and definitely more comfortable on the mats.

So, what follows are 10 tips I’d like to share. I promise that you’ll be the best dressed kid at the county fair jamboree if you follow them:

1: While it hopefully goes without saying, you need to wash your gi every single time you roll. It’s just the right thing to do for everyone involved. If you are doubling up on a day, going to the morning class and the afternoon class, don’t wear the same gi. Take a shower, too, while you’re at it.

2: Don’t overload your washer. In your washer, three things contribute to cleaning your clothes: water temperature, soap and agitation. If you cram the washer full, there will be very little agitation and your clothes won’t get clean. There is a temptation to wash as many things as possible in a washer. Most top loaders are good for one heavyweight gi or maybe two lightweight gis. I have a high-capacity front loader and find that more than two gis plus the rash guard and such is about the cap. So, if your gis don’t smell good after your wash, it’s possible that you’re trying to be too efficient and your washer’s just not up to it.

3: Try White Vinegar instead of bleach: This is particularly great if you’re line drying, but is good for killing odors without weakening the fabric. Bleach will make your gi stiff and will dramatically shorten its life by weakening the fabric. Vinegar, on the other hand, will help eliminate odors without destroying the fabric in the process. A 5% solution of vinegar and water is also a natural, non-toxic antiseptic that will kill 99% of germs. So, try adding about ¼ cup of white vinegar to the bleach bin of your washing machine instead of bleach.

White vinegar is also safe for colors, if anything, helping to set them instead of making them fade, with the added benefit of helping prevent pit stains and yellowing in a white gi.

When you line dry, you'll often have a soapy residue left in the kimono from the wash? That stiffness is from the residual soap. Vinegar helps rinse out the soap, so you don't end up with cardboard when you're done.

4: Baking Soda or Borax for acidic odors: Vinegar is an acid, and tip 3 will only work if we’re talking about bacteria. If your gi smells like ammonia, vinegar won’t help. You’ll need something to counteract the acidic nature of the ammonia your sweat produces. Try baking soda or borax (or combining the two) added to your wash instead of the vinegar.

5: The Sun kills bacteria naturally. If you’re line drying in Brazil (or some other place that’s sunny and warm) you’re probably okay. Here in Seattle, line drying indoors and not taking any other steps to eliminate bacteria is a recipe for disaster… or at least funk.

6: Dry your gis completely before wearing them. Another common cause of funk is to wash the gi then wear it before it’s completely dry. Moisture is an environment that bacteria enjoy, and if you never allow your kimonos to dry completely, you’re probably harboring plenty of funky bacteria. This means if you’re line drying, you should plan ahead and give them plenty of time to dry. Also, see tip 9.

7: Heat kills bacteria. While it’s true that washing in cold water and line drying will extend the life of your gi, it’s not THAT bad. It’s not like washing and drying your kimono will cause it to fall apart in months (although bleaching it definitely will destroy it fast).

Cotton often shrinks, but there is a limit to how much. It’s not like your gi will continue to shrink forever until it looks like a kid sized gi. I wash and dry all of my gis, occasionally on the super-hot, Sunny side of Mercury setting (which basically heats the water up to 180F and dries it for like 90 minutes). Almost all of them have shrunk to one degree or another, but getting to know what sizes to wear, and buying the gis accordingly accounts for this. Also, washing your gi a few times super hot will help it reach that terminal size faster. Or said another way, washing it in warm water over several washings is just prolonging the shrinking process. It will still shrink... just not as quickly.

The first thing I do when I get a new gi is to try it on. If it’s pre-shrunk, great. I still expect a little shrinkage, but not that much. If it’s not pre-shrunk, I expect the sleeves and pants to shrink up a few inches, at least. Either way, if the fit is what I expect, I wash it at least twice on hot, drying it completely both times before wearing it. That way, I’m reasonably sure that it’s not going to shrink much more over the life of the gi.

8: Wash your belt. There is no such thing as a fuzzy belt in BJJ. If your belt is attempting to submit your opponents, I’m talking to you.

I’ve heard two main reasons for not washing one’s belt. The first is superstition. The second is that, in BJJ our stripes tend to be athletic tape. Washing the belt might literally wash off the stripes. This isn’t a huge deal, but one way or the other, your belt will get funky if you don’t clean it.

If you don’t want to wash it in the machine, use a disinfectant spray. Odoban works pretty well, and is available in bulk at Costco. Febreze also works pretty well. You can also make a 5% solution of white vinegar and just allow it to dry completely. The vinegar smell will fade away as the fabric dries.

9: Own multiple Kimonos: BJJ is a relatively inexpensive hobby. Sure, you can go nuts buying books and DVDs, but outside of competition fees and school tuition, what do we really have to buy? So, indulge yourself. If you’ve been training consistently for 6 months or more and still own only one gi, go nuts. Buy another one. Live a little. The Gameness Pearl is a great gi that can be purchased for under $100. Padilla & Sons and HCK also have high quality gis available at a great price. You don’t have to spend $150 or more to get a nice gi… although they are great if you can afford them. Ebay is also a pretty good place to find nice gis that are either brand new or close to it at a great discount.

Bottom line, owning multiple gis isn’t something I consider to be a luxury. If you train multiple times each week and are serious at all about it, do yourself a favor and own at least two gis.

10: If all else fails, try washing your washer. This is particularly true for the front loaders, where a small amount of water tends to remain in the basin between washes. Some things you can do to disinfect your washer include running an empty cycle with hot water, soap and bleach. Or I would recommend hot water and about 3 cups of white vinegar. If you have a front loader, leave the door open between washes to allow it to dry out. The front loaders are air tight, and leaving the door closed will promote the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew.

If you have any other laundry tips for martial artists, email me or post them in the comments section.

Walking to the Cage

I mentioned last week that I finally got a chance to watch the finished documentary film on MMA directed, filmed and edited by my friend, Matthew Hickney. I love all sorts of movies… even the occasional chick flick with my wife. Now, to be clear, I have some very talented friends, and I’m proud to be associated with them. Matt works very hard and takes the craft of filmmaking very seriously. But I will admit that asking to watch Matt’s first finished film is kind of like asking your friend in high school to read her book of poetry. Chances are, no matter how talented you believe her to be, the poems are going to be really bad… or at best, amateurish.

I've been following the creation of this film for a few years now. You can find trailers, information and extra footage on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/chokeproductions

And so it was that I anxiously popped the DVD into the player and settled back with my wife to watch Walking to the Cage. I was hoping to see a polished documentary film, but in the back of my mind, my expectations were on a more YouTubish level. Ultimately, I was blown away. Technically, Matt did a fantastic job. The filming was well done and the editing of the film was seamless. It didn’t take long at all before I completely forgot that I was watching a movie created by a friend and became engrossed in the story he was telling.

Walking to the Cage tells the story of three amateur fighters: Coby Parmenter, Jeff Bourgious and Josh Calvo. Jeff is the narrator for the film, for the most part, and Matt uses Jeff’s footage to move the story along. I particularly like the post-fight picture of Jeff with a black eye and bruises all over his face, and the biggest, goofiest grin you can imagine. Classic Jeff.

Ultimately, the film is about MMA and Matt is trying to present a different side to the sport. MMA is often thought of as two largely untrained thugs pounding on each other until one is unconscious. The bloodthirstiness of this perception is encouraged by the way that MMA is marketed by the UFC and other popular promotions. What really struck me about Walking to the Cage is that Matt doesn’t apologize for the violence in the sport of MMA. Rather, he attempts to bring the viewer into the world, to show them a side of MMA that they might not be aware of, and to help them appreciate it even if they don’t like or understand it. Early in the film, Matt is interviewing three teenagers going to see some fights. They go on and on about the blood and the violence and how cool it is to see people pounding each other’s faces in. Matt asks them, “So, do you train?” Their response was classic: “No way.” So, this is how the story begins and Jeff wraps up the message of the film nicely. Toward the end of the film, Jeff says (paraphrasing), “This is what we do and we work very hard at it. I don’t like ballet, but I can appreciate what they’re doing. I can appreciate the art.” Ultimately, that’s the message: MMA isn’t for everyone, but regardless of whether you like it or hate it, we can all appreciate that the guys who do it, do so because the love it. They train with passion and they strive to excel.

Of course, I know just about everyone in the film and like them all. I am also a fan of MMA and particularly of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. So, I’m sharing my DVD with my friends who don’t particularly like MMA to get their unbiased opinion. So far, the message I’m getting is that the film is accessible to non-MMA fans. My friend, Miranda, watched it with her husband. She said that it her husband thought it was a professionally distributed film and even asked when it aired on TV. Their feedback was very positive.

Another friend, a guy who loves movies more than anyone I know, wrote the following email after watching it:

Steve, I am very impressed. I just finished watching the movie (haven't seen the extras yet). It more than held my interest throughout, and moved deftly between the three main stories. Most importantly it said to the viewer "this is what you probably think MMA is (I think of Kimbo Slice), and here's the real story (Jeff, Coby, Josh).

I wasn't a fan of MMA before the film and I'm not now, but you don't have to be to like the movie. I think it helps if you like sports though, and love movies like I do. The director did an awesome job of editing, especially with the concluding fight scenes, like with the fade to black and white, and the music for Jeff's fight.

This movie certainly deserves distribution, and is as good as any of the ESPN or FOX Sports documentaries I've seen. Well done!

Matt has been going up and down the West Coast from Seattle to LA over the last few years, and he's moving to LA permanently this week to be closer to the film industry. He'll also be training with Eddie Bravo over at 10th Planet. You have a gift for story telling, and I am sure you'll do well. Good luck, Matt.

Don't Forget to Breathe

I've been training for a few years now and have seen a lot of new guys come and go. One of the most common questions I'm asked is how to avoid gassing out when sparring. Of course, I laugh because my conditioning is suspect and I routinely gas out. But it's a good question: how do you avoid gassing out while rolling? I have five simple tips that might help. I hope they do.

Tip 1: Breathe

With new guys, conditioning is certainly a big part of it. However, even guys who are in good shape gas out fast when they first step onto the mats. The reason is often because they forget to breathe. What I mean is, they literally hold their breath or breath irregularly while exerting themselves. So, when sparring, focus on breathing. Just being aware of your breathing is sometimes enough to keeping you from holding your breath.

Tip 2: Relax

I don't mean be passive. By relaxed, I mean learning when to move and when to rest and this largely comes from experience. Over time, you'll learn how to push, pull or whatever without flexing every single muscle in your body. I swear, some new guys look like they're passing a kidney stone when they roll.

Tip 3: Focus on good technique

If you're on the bottom, flat on your back and your arms aren't in the right spots, you're probably very uncomfortable and unable to breathe. Look at the upper belts. You'll see that if the the guy on top is in close, the guy on bottom is likely up on one side or the other... rarely squared up and flat on his back. If you're on the bottom, being on your side gives you space to breathe and also options to improve your position. Also, keeping your arms in to create space will help relieve pressure on your diaphragm making it possible to breathe.

As Rick told me on my first day of class as he drove his considerable mass into my ribs, "This is just pressure. Pressure isn't a submission." Of course, he was right, but I'm pretty sure I still tapped.

Tip 4: Don't just use your arms..

It's amazing how many new guys forget they have legs. Again, look at the upper belts. They use their arms, legs and head to good effect. Once you begin to really incorporate your legs into your game, you'll see how you can start working your advantage. The entire idea of BJJ is to stack the deck in your favor. Using your legs against your opponent's arms is a good example of this.

I've found that strong arms and legs help, but a strong core is crucial. Being able to stay up on your side in half guard is all core strength and technique. Being able to breathe with pressure on your diaphragm is a function of your core strength. Without a strong core, your arsenal of tools in BJJ is very limited.

Tip 5: Keep Training

Ultimately, it's just mat time. Train, train, train and focus on the basics, and don't forget to breathe. As you gain experience, you'll find that all of those things to remember become second nature.

Walking to the Cage

I just watched my friend's documentary on MMA called Walking to the Cage. It's really terrific. While I'm definitely biased, I'll post a review soon. I watched an early version back in late 2007, and Matt's really addressed every aspect of the movie to make it better. Better pacing, better framing of the story and a better voice. I'm still working through the extras... right now an interview with Eddie Bravo.