by Prof. Martin Guggi
Our first BJJ Camp in California/USA took place from 31.March to 2. April 2017. After our success in Europe we wanted to go one step further and start with the first camp across the big ocean.
Finding a spot in the USA where you do not know places by yourself was not easy. We spent a lot of times on the computer searching for the right spot, but finally we found it. The Pali Retreat Center in Running Springs – 5 miles away from the beautiful, cold Lake Arrowhead was the right choice.
When you are starting with something you always have to start with the first small step before you can do bigger steps. On this first US Camp we started with a smale group of participants and three instructors. Together we were around 10 people ready for an intensive weekend full of high quality bjj training!
The BJJ intensive Camp Team with Prof. Renato Migliaccio and Prof. Martin Guggi got supported from Richar Nogueira. Richar is a BJJ brown belt under Cicero Costa and lives and trains in Brasil, Sao Paulo. His hole live is dedicated to BJJ and he had the opportunity to stay and compete in California for a few weeks. For us this was a great chance to learn from a completive BJJ Youngstar.
We all met in front of Prof. Renatos school – Sampa BJJ and Fitness – in Glendora and together with a van we drove up to the San Bernadino Mountains. When you leave the highway it is a beautiful drive in the mountains and you leaving be big city of LA behind you.
We could stay in nice capins at the Pali Retreat Center in between the nature. The rooms where for simple but perfect for what you are looking at such a place. The food was perfect. Every time we could choose form a few different meals and everyone was really happy with the offers there. Even the vegetarians got something special for their needs.
Training started after dinner with some nice takedowns from the back. Prof. Renato showed some nice ways from Judo, Wrestling and BJJ how to take someone down as soon as you got his back. We continued with a Question and Answer unit. Everybody could ask how about any BJJ problem and Prof. Renato, Prof. Martin and Coach Richar tried to answer the questions. The first question was about the Lasso Guard – how to set it up and how to pass it. The rest of the first day we drilled these techniques and got a good overview of possible options in this open guard variation.
After a good night and an amazing breakfast class started with some Ginastica Natural warm-up. This brazilian method of moving is an amazing way for training bjj if you do not have a partner to train with. You stretch your body by different moves and at the same time start to work your coordination and strength. We finished the warm-up with the repetition of the techniques form the last day and then the instructors continued with answering more questions from the students, always having enough time to practice the moves.
Here you can see the techniques and drills witch where showed and trained at the camp:
For Videos from the techniques click here!
3 Take downs from the Back
1. Grab under the hip a throw him over you
2. To leg drag
3. Wrestling takedown + backtake Holding on his Back
Lasso sweeps:
1. Basic Lasso sweeps
2. Lasso de la riva sweep
Lasso Passes
1. Lasso Pass duck under the leg
2. Lasso Pass to leg drag to Kimura
Drill:
Windshild Viper
Level 1: trough legs
Level 2: underhook – knee on belly Switch
Level 3: hips escape – Switch over legs
Takedown
Tai otoshi
Mount
Right way to mount – monkey mount
Nord south
1. Papercut Choke
2. Kimura
Getting the Back if someone mounts you from ushiro kesa gatame
Kesa gatame Sequenz to z mount to mount to Back for MMA
Hon kesa gatame Submission Sequenz
Berimbolo basic
After the morning class, lunch and a good time to rest and sleep we trained 3 more hours in the afternoon. Combined with resistance training and sparring!
After dinner we always had time to hang out together and talk about bjj, live and got to know each other. This a very nice time with everybody. On the second day we drove to Lake Arrowhead to spend some time there. The city at the lake is very small and even on Saturday there was not a lot going on. But we had more to me at local pup so sit together and talk. After the hard and longtime of training we really enjoyed the time outside of the mat. Everybody wanted to train intensive and did not want to waste the time partying but it was great to have some social activities as well.
Three days go by very fast, even more if you enjoy what you are doing.
We are looking forward to the next camp in California. Prof. Renato and Prof. Martin are already planning to find a good place for the next camp. For sure there will be a BJJ intensive Camp again in this location close to Lake Arrowhead but perhaps one more in Palm Springs or one day in Las Vegas.
What the participants say about the camp:
- It was great training with exceptional instructors. Im looking forward to the next camp. – Robert