Longing for the Days as a White Belt

What it felt like as a BJJ white belt?

Sometimes I feel myself longing for that exciting feeling I had back when I first started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  The newness of learning something I had never known was impossible to compare to much of anything I had ever experienced when I first started training.  I never trained Martial Arts as a kid so when I began training Jiu-Jitsu I finally "got it."  My discovery of Jiu-Jitsu came at a time when I most needed it; something to give me focus and direction.  I totally immersed myself into training as much as I reasonably could and the learning that came with it.

I jumped at almost every opportunity I could to train with high level guys that would come through town for seminars and workshops. I competed as often as I could because I felt that it was an important aspect in developing into a better grappler.  Even as a full-time, "career guy" and single parent at 30, I would sneak into the gym for a training session anytime I could find a plausible opportunity.

How it evolved and changed?

As time passed and I started gaining some rank in Jiu-Jitsu I still longed for learning and developing my grappling.  I began teaching kids once I reached blue belt and eventually adults as time passed. As an instructor it was vital for me to be a student of the sport.

At times I became overly focused on reaching certain goals and ranks and that honestly took some of the fun out of it for me at times.  Anyone reading this can relate on some level regardless of your time in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu.  If you stay long enough you will see trends and changes within the competition environment and I tried my best to stay in tune with that despite what we were training in our classes.  I found as time progressed...blue, purple, then brown I longed for that feeling I had as a new white belt that was completely devoid of goals, self-imposed pressure, etc. This was a pitfall for me and I imagine I'm not alone feeling that way.

What I missed the most?

One thing I missed probably more than anything is that feeling of almost no expectation.  When I was a white belt I didn't know much of anything.  I had some natural ability and basic understanding of wrestling but outside of that I was like a clean pallet.  The amount of knowledge I felt I could obtain seemed limitless as a white belt.  The amount of time I invested in addition to normal training sessions was borderline obsessive compulsive but it was a lot of fun.  It gave me something to channel my free time off the mats until I could get back in for another training session.  That time studying online and chatting with teammates gave me some focus so that I would have a plan when I got back in the gym to train.

So I got my Black Belt

Yes, you too can get a Black Belt if you are committed and keep going long enough.  I managed to stick with my original instructor which was very important to me.  I'm not saying that is the way for everyone but I wanted to have that squeaky clean lineage.  Loyalty is a big thing to me and I was lucky enough to develop a relationship with my coach and see it through for my last, big promotion. I can honestly say as I approached my Black Belt I really focused on basics for the last year or so leading up to that point.  Maybe that took some of the fun out of it for me?  Taking the most basic route of fundamentals rather than learning something completely new just wasn't for me?  That being said I don't regret it and feel some of the most basic fundamentals are lost on the average grappler that reaches blue belt.  I don't mean to paint every blue belt with that brush but if you are reading this you are in tune with social media.  You see how many people become overly focused on things and specialize in certain areas rather than developing themselves to be well rounded grapplers.  You don't even have to leave your gym in many cases to see that.

I will say though that the last six months or so leading up to Black Belt I did become much more focused on leg locks and nogi grappling.  I knew as an upper belt having a well rounded game and understanding of leg locks was very important.

I have been 75% gi focused since day one.  It's not that I don't enjoy nogi but my training & teaching schedule simply works out that I am mostly training in the gi.  Couple that with a limited amount of time to train and that's just where my focus was mostly...training & competing in the gi.  I started to feel that excitement all over again as I started to transition into a leg lock focused nogi game; throw in some stand-up as well thanks to working with Reilly Bodycomb every opportunity I get.

Joseph D. Shelly & Me at my Black Belt promotion

Something new...Judo!

Fast forward just a bit from my most recent promotion and I would be lucky enough to find a new training partner and teammate in a 3rd Dan Judo Black Belt.  This guy not only has been training Judo for 30 years but has a moustache that rivals both Don Frye and Magnum PI.  Turns out he's my age and the real deal.  He's a lot like me and we both have very similar goals.  We love training, learning new concepts along with the application, and teaching others what we love most.  He sold me on Judo and I'll be honest it wasn't easy at first.  The stand-up aspect of grappling has always been my weak point (always defaulting as the guard guy) and it's not often you have the chance to work with really talented wrestlers or Judokas outside of your own academy.

In just six months of working Judo with him 1-2 times per week I've been able to elevate my confidence in standing with anyone at my own gym at a level I had not experienced before.  The best part of this new discovery is simply that...it's new.  It has given me that white belt feeling all over again that I experienced when I first found Jiu-Jitsu.  It is making me a more well-rounded grappler and keeping me very hungry to continue learning.  Moving forward I hope to compete in at least one Judo tournament this year and maybe even some Sambo!

Akin Kurtulan (my Judo coach and teammate)

Moral of the story?

I think it's fairly simple.  We all hit the proverbial rut in training.  We feel like we've hit a wall or simply losing interest for various reasons.  My suggestion is to make a list of the things that you loved most when you first started training.  Identify those things that made you most excited about training.  Once you figure that out ask yourself, "what can I do to bring back those really good feelings again?"  Don't stray from what brings you the most enjoyment.  Don't set artificial goals that take the fun out the aspects you love most.

For me I firmly believe it is to never stop evolving.  

Reilly Bodycomb Houston Training Camp 2015

If you have followed my blog for a while you have probably seen postings promoting Reilly Bodycomb's digital downloads, DVD's, and seminars that I have impressed me.  When I was a purple belt I started to realize it was high time to start working on leg locks.  In hindsight I was very late to the game and should have been doing them much sooner. Since that time I've been lucky enough to train with Reilly at least once per year since then at each respective belt rank.  Now as a black belt (the paint is still fresh) I am fully aware my knowledge of leg locks is still incredibly poor.  In addition there are other aspects to my game that need a lot of attention and Reilly's approach to submission grappling gives me an opportunity to fill these gaps.

July 3rd our gym www.ndmma.com hosted Reilly for a seminar that was well attended (yes even on a Friday evening one day before a major holiday).  Just like previous seminars when we've had Reilly the general consensus from those that attended was "this is the best bang for the buck seminar ever!"  I know I was not disappointed at all; myself and those there that night seemed to really appreciate his conceptual approach to grappling and instruction.  As an instructor and student of grappling Reilly inspires me to be a better instructor and think critically in a different manner than my mind typically works.  I won't go into all the details of that seminar and the content covered simply because the focus here is about the two day training camp I attended last weekend in Houston.

Pics from the seminar hosted at North Dallas MMA on July 3rd:

 

 

 

Now on to the GOOD STUFF.  Let me preface by I have not attended a training camp like this.  In a nutshell the camp consisted of two days, broken into two training sessions (two hours each with a two hour break in between each day).  I've highlighted some but certainly NOT ALL of the content covered during each session.

Day 1 - Session 1

Leg control from bottom position

Three major points of control

How to off-balance standing opponent from leg control

When to attack & when to go to a reversal

Practice maintaining/re-establishing leg control drills

Recovering position when things go bad (various scenarios)

Sliding heel hooks

Finishing ankle locks/heel hooks when they roll/defend

Day 2 - Session 2

Tripod ankle lock

Outside heel hook escapes (various scenarios)

Ankle lock to heel hook transition

Live grappling

Day 3 - Session 3

Take down defense (doubles & singles)

Wrestling fundamentals

Throws

Day 4 - Session 4

1/4 guard back-step pass (See Top Rock http://rdojo.com/toprock.html)

Various attacks & scenarios from the 1/4 guard back step pass

Knee on belly (Top Rock)

Vegan mount (Top Rock)

Inside heel hook defense

As if this all wasn't good enough, Reilly set up an in-camp tournament for those interested in competing.  It was run on Day 2 after the third session.  The rule set was such that it forces both competitors to push the action at all times. Stalling of any sort from any position would result in a point given to the opponent.  Take downs, legitimate submission attacks, ride time from knee on belly, sweeps all would account for a scored point.  If you pulled guard and did not immediately work a submission or sweep you could potentially have points scored for the opponent.  First person to submit or gain nine points would be declared the winner of the match.  No time limits.  We had a odd number of guys in our 140-170lb weight class so the first competitors to get two wins would qualify for the finals.  The competitor with the longest combined match times would not be qualified to compete in the finals.  Knowing this wasn't a rule set that is favorable to my own game I figured "what the heck, let's do it and have fun."  We had a division of six competitors in the big boy weight class as well so we alternated matches between the two.  

The result?  It forced everyone to attack like crazy and I believe only one match ended by points. The rules allowed for reaping (Oh Heaven!) and all foot locks were good.  I could see this rule set being used in big tournaments because it produced very aggressive matches.  I don't think a single match ever exceeded 7 minutes.  I managed to win both of my matches via Estima Lock but missed the finals as my total match times were a little too long (4:00 min & about 2:30 in the second match). Regardless of missing the final I was super happy to catch those subs as I've never finished with leg locks in organized competition before.

Here is a HL video of that in-camp tournament.

                                 

             (Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx_d8EFSu0I)

Most of the in-camp competitors (missing a couple)

Estima Locks during in-camp tournament

The value of this camp was ridiculously good.  $200 for over eight hours of training is hard to beat in my book and I've been to my fair share of seminars.  It was a cool chance to meet a lot of different people that traveled from places like Maryland, South Carolina, New Mexico.  I can't stress enough the value that Reilly offers in private lessons, seminars, camps, and especially his DVD/digital downloads.  He doesn't hold back information and gives you his best every time.  We were also lucky to have one of Reilly's top students Denny in the house to help with the seminar because it was packed...about 25 people each day.  

Also a big thank you to Eddie Alevar that owns/runs Ground Dwellers in Spring, TX.  He was an excellent host and invited us all over to watch UFC 189 at his house which was a blast.  

Side note:  Reilly Bodycomb will be competing against Richard Cummings at Polaris 2 in September. This event will be streamed live so check it out.  The card is looking pretty amazing with tons of talent.  http://www.polaris-pro.org/polaris-blog/2015/5/8/polaris-2-fights-announced

Links:

http://rdojo.com/downloads.html  

http://www.grounddwellers.com/

http://www.polaris-pro.org/polaris-blog/2015/5/8/polaris-2-fights-announced

So...I Got Promoted to Black Belt

Professor JD Shelley & Me

I will apologize in advance that this post will probably sound like I'm rambling.  I will do my best to keep it logical and organized but I can't help the fact that trying to summarize 7.5 years of training while keeping it reasonably concise is a lot to ask.

Last night I reached a big milestone in my life and Jiu-Jitsu career.  I was awarded my black belt by my Professor, Joseph D. Shelley (2nd American black belt under Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti.  I began training February 2008 as the age of 30.  I played soccer competitively from a young age up until my late 20's.  I began training Muay Thai at NDBJJ in 2006 and thought I would NEVER have anything to do with the "grappling stuff." Looked like too much work to be honest.  The truth was I was going through a difficult time in my life, a recent divorce, financial difficulties, among other things.  I didn't fully commit to Muay Thai because of I was out of shape and the commute was not ideal.

Fast forward to 2008.  I'm driving by the old gym and think to myself..."it's time to make a change for the sake of your own health."  I dropped in to simply observe and see what it was like to go through a routine beginner class.  I sent an email to JD Shelley to introduce myself and that I would be coming in to try a class.  Well I did...and I loved it.  It gave me something to focus on that I was missing in my life, a place to exercise, somewhere I could learn something, and work out the competitive side of my personality.

As a newbie it didn't take long for me to recognize the upper belts were vastly better and more knowledgeable than myself and other fellow white belts.  I found Jiu-Jitsu to be incredibly challenging and frustrating at the same time.  I just kept going back no matter how good or bad my training sessions went.  It didn't take long for me to "buddy up" with a couple other white belts and even a couple upper belts.  I did my best to get to know an upper belt that had been at the gym and with JD since the early 2000's.  I even met him back in 2006 during Muay Thai and he was nice enough not to punch my face off during my first class while he was prepping for an MMA fight.  He fought professional MMA and was an instructor at the gym.  I'm not going to lie the guy was a bit standoff-ish but I persisted to get to know him and ask lots of questions. That guy would go on to get his brown belt in 2008 and his black not too long after.  I was lucky enough to see him receive his 1st & 2nd degree black belt promotion last night.  His name is Shervin Alavi and he has become not only a good training partner but a good friend since then.

Keith Wilks another fellow white belt training partner has been a friend as well since then.  We have both shared promotions ever since the beginning through last night.  There have been countless other people that have come and gone for various reasons and I can't name them all. There is still a small group of us "old guys" now which even to me..."we aren't ALL the old guys" because Lord knows there were many before us.  That being said it has been an absolutely difficult, at times frustrating, and many times fun, exciting "journey" (I hate that word) to get here.

Keith Wilks, Shervin Alavi, & Me

I've endured my fair share of injuries along the way, set backs, personal & professional challenges, you name it.  I'm just a regular guy like most people reading this.  None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family.  I was lucky enough to meet my wife right after I began training in 2008.  She has been there every step of the way.  She is the person that has had to put up with me when I've had a bad day at the gym, the office, etc.  Lindsey has always known this was important to me; she has been and will always be my #1 fan.  I can't say enough about that really. My parents and daughter without a doubt have also been crucial to support and help me get here even though they don't fully realize their roles.

Lindsey & Me

Lucky Dude!

Timeline
Feb 2008 - White belt
October 2009 - Blue belt
December 2011 - Purple belt
November 2013 - Brown belt
June 1, 2015 - Black belt

I've competed in my fair share of tournaments with successes and some failures.  I'm currently 38 and even when starting this at the age of 30, my ability to participate in tournaments is and has been limited at best.  I have a professional career, a family (3 children), among other obligations so keeping everything balanced has always been a challenge.  I'm very lucky I have had a good support system in my wife and family.  I have sacrificed an unbelievable amount of time with them to get here so soon.  For that I appreciate what they have been willing to sacrifice for me.

Note: I have competed at every level and have been lucky to record most of my matches.  I am missing some from last fall at Five Texas 2 I hope to upload.  If you are willing/interested to see any of my matches over the years you can find them on my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Reefernut77/videos

I began teaching as soon as I received my blue belt and have continued on since then teaching kids and adults of all levels including private lessons.  I immediately discovered that teaching was a big passion right away.  It helped me understand things better and gave me a new outlet to communicate with people.  I enjoy seeing people learn and can also share something that I am passionate about.  If you have seen my blog then you have an idea how "into" Jiu-Jitsu that I am.  I study it and my life revolves around it.

Some people along the way have and continue to ask "how did you get promoted so fast?"  The answer is simple.  I kept coming to class and training.  It didn't stop there though.  I focused on improving certain aspects that were problematic for me in the gym while rolling or at competitions. I never took breaks either unless I was injured.  The longest break I took over 7.5 years was three months for a broken foot which I just recently have come back from.

I'm not a super star; I'm an average, athletic guy that simply remained focused and always continued to learn and evolve.  That is what is important to me in Jiu-Jitsu.  That is not the same for everyone as we all have varying levels of interest but that is the most simple way to answer that common question.

I also found along the way that as people would come and go, and some even came back...it was important to me to eventually earn my black belt but it was even more important to get it from MY coach, Joseph D. Shelley.  He has never been known to "hand out belts" and has incredibly high standards especially at the black belt level.  Lineage means a lot to me and he trained with some of the best.  You may not know my coach but if you do, you know that he is one of the toughest guys you will ever encounter on the mats.  He's a 2 tour Gulf War veteran (Marine) and a two-time Nogi Worlds Champion 2008 & 2010.  Even at his age (early 40's) you would never know it by the way he rolls on the mat and his dedication to the sport.  He is and will always be MY coach and he is also my friend.  I am grateful for the time, energy, and opportunities he has given me over the years.

I can't thank every single person that has helped me but I will list the most influential people that come to mind not previously mentioned above.

-All of my training partners
-Every guy that stepped on the mat against me in competition
-Robson Moura
-Reilly Bodycomb
-Sean Roberts
-Michelle Nicolini
-Caio Terra
-Mendes Bros
-Bruno & Rico Bastos
-Gustavo Dantas
-Manny Diaz

My lineage:  Rolls Gracie--->Romero "Jacare" Calvalcanti--->JD Shelley--->Me

Some of the the NDBJJ Black Belts in attendance last night

http://ndbjj.com/index.html

2015 Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship Preview

After taking a year off from doing any big tournament articles I got the pre-Pan excitement.  I am really looking forward to the tournament that seems to get bigger every year with each division getting more stacked from lower belts all the way through black belt.  Tournament info can be found here: http://ibjjf.org/championship/pan-jiu-jitsu-championship/

This preview will focus on divisions that interest me and/or I feel like I know enough about the competitors to make comments.

Brown / Adult / Male / Light Feather
2014 Champ - Andris Brunovskis (Atos)

This is actually a pretty stacked division with some exciting guys to watch and picking a winner is difficult.  Michael Musumeci, Ostap Manastyrski, Woolf Barnato, and Darson Hemmings are my personal favorites in this division.  Woolf came up short and finished second in 2014.

My prediction: Woolf Barnato (Ralph Gracie)

Brown / Adult / Male / Feather
2014 Champ - Fabio Caloi (Alliance)

Watch for Isaac Doederlein and Rick Slomba (Atos) will be big contenders.  Slomba is coming off a big year but Doederlein is likely to claim the title this year.

My pick: Isaac Doederlein (Alliance)

Brown / Adult / Male / Middle
2014 Champ - Dillion Danis (Alliance)

Marcelo Garcia protege has to be the favorite to reclaim his title this year.

Brown / Adult / Male / Medium Heavy
2014 Champ - Manuel Diaz (Brasa CTA)

Reigning champ Manny "Beats" Diaz was promoted to black belt late last year making way for some new blood this year.  Another Marcelo Garcia protege, Matheus Diniz (Alliance) will be a big favorite this year.  Don't overlook Cyborg's sutdent Hunter Ewald (Fight Sports) as he is a gamer. These two would make for a great final.

My pick: Matheus Diniz (Alliance)

Brown / Adult / Male / Super Heavy
2014 Champ - Erberth Santos de Mesquita (TLI)

Not familiar with many of the guys making up this division but one name stands out by a lot.

My pick: Jared Dopp (Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu)

Brown / Adult / Male / Ultra Heavy
2014 Champ - Pedro Henrique Moura (Ribiero Jiu-Jitsu)

This is a pretty small division with only 6 guys.

My pick: Ryan Sandhagen (Bruno Bastos Association)

Black / Adult / Male / Rooster
2014 Champ - Joao Rodrigues (CheckMat)

Seven competitors making up this division with Caio Terra returning after taking time off from health issues in 2014.  He will have his hands full on the tougher side of the bracket with Fabio Passos (Alliance) likely in the semi-final.  Bruno Malfacine (Alliance) has the easier path on the other side of the bracket.  I'm going to predict a Passos / Malfacine final here as I'm not sure how healthy Caio is these days.

My pick: Bruno Malfacine (Alliance)

Black / Adult / Male / Light Feather
2014 Champ - Paulo Miyao (PSLPB Cicero Costha)

We will be treated to both Miyao's competing in the Light Feather this year and thankfully on opposing sides of the brackets.

My pick: Paulo Miyao (PSLPB)

Black / Adult / Male / Feather
2014 Champ - Mario Reis (Alliance)

This is probably my favorite division every year.  The usual names are here minus Rafa Mendes, Tanquinho, and Cobrinha.  Make way for Vitor Paschoal (Brasa CTA), Osvaldo Moizinho (Gracie Fighter), Gianni Grippo (Alliance) and Davin Maxwell (Cassio Werneck BJJ).  My personal interest this year is to see how Gustavo Dantas (Nova Uniao) will fare competing with the younger guys.

My pick: Osvaldo Moizinho (Gracie Fighter)

Black / Adult / Male / Light
2014 Champ - Lucas Lepri (Alliance)

Usual favorites Lucas Lepri and Michael Langhi (Alliance) are not registered this year which should be a relief for the rest of the division.  That said there is a lot of talented guys which should make for an interesting watch.  Mario Reis (Alliance) has moved up a weight class, Jonathan Torres (Atos), Andris Brunovskis (Atos), Michael Liera Jr (Atos)...the list goes on.  Lots of Atos guys here are likely to make some noise.

My pick: Jonathan Torres (Atos)

Black / Adult / Male / Middle
2014 Champ - Leandro Lo (PSLPB Cicero Costha)

Reigning champ Lo is back again this year and will be the favorite as usual.  Otavio Sousa (Gracie Barra), Victor Estima (Gracie Barra), Magid Hage (Gracie Barra), Vitor Henrique Oliveira (GF Team), Tanner Rice (Amazonas), Sean Roberts (CheckMat) are just a handful of the superstars making up this group.

My pick: Leandro Lo (PSLPB)

Black / Adult / Male / Medium Heavy
2014 Champ - Gustavo Campos (Atos)

This will be a hotly contested division again with most of the big names returning including all of the medalists.  Keenan (Atos), Gustavo Campos (Atos), Abmar Barbosa (Zenith BJJ), Murilo Santana (Barbosa JJ)

My pick: Keenan Corneilius (Atos)

Black / Adult / Male / Heavy
2014 Champ - Yuri Simoes (Brasa CTA)

Yuri has moved up to Super Heavy this year making way for Lucas Leite (CheckMat), Marcelo Mafra (CheckMat), and Timothy Spriggs (TLI).

My pick: Timothy Spriggs (TLI)

Black / Adult / Male / Super Heavy
2014 Champ - Luiz Panza (Barbosa JJ)

Guys to watch are Yuri Simoes (Brasa CTA), Bernardo Faria (Alliance) Joao Assis (CheckMat), Eduardo Telles (Brasa CTA), and Erberth Santos de Mesquita (Guigo JJ).

My pick: Bernardo Faria (Alliance)

Black / Adult / Male / Ultra Heavy
2014 Champ - Andre Galvao (Atos)

First thing worth noting is no Galvao this year!  Luis Panza (Barbosa JJ) has moved up in weight. Bruno Bastos (Bruno Bastos Association) will give it a run again with the younger guys.  James Puopolo (Ribiero JJ) and Alexander Trans (UAE JJ Team).  An interesting note is that Joao Rocha (Soul Fighters) has just recovered from cancer and will be in this division.

My pick: Alexander Trans (UAE JJ Team)

Black / Adult / Female / Light Feather
2014 Champ - Andrea Encarnacion (Elite BJJ Redmond)

With only 4 women in this small division this is a pretty easy pick for me.  Michelle Nicolini (CheckMat) and Gezary Bandeira (ATT) are likely to meet in the finals.

My pick: Michelle Nicolini (CheckMat)

Black / Adult / Female / Feather
2014 Champ - Tammi Musumeci (ATT)

Tammi is making her first big stage showing since suffering an awful elbow dislocation at the 2014 Worlds.  I think we are likely to see a finals rematch with Mackenzie Dern and Musumeci (ATT).

My pick: Mackenzie Dern (Gracie Humaita)

Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChWzHzvpBs4)

Black / Adult / Female / Light
2014 Champ - Beatriz Mesquita (Gracie Humaita)

Texan Lora Hallock (Atos) will be making her first attempt as a black belt this year.  Fabiana Borges (Gracie Barra), Beatriz Mesquita (Gracie Humaita), Angelica Galvoa (Atos), and Nyjah Easton (TLI) will be heavily favored here.

My pick: Beatriz Mesquita (Gracie Humaita)


Wheeeeeeew that's about it.  If you want to watch the Saturday & Sunday portion of the live stream go here:  http://ibjjf.tv/

Tournament info: http://ibjjf.org/championship/pan-jiu-jitsu-championship/
Brackets: http://events.ibjjf.com/
Schedule: http://ibjjf.org/pan-2015-schedule/

Please visit the following:

http://thebjjmentalcoach.com/

Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gzZH4cQK30

https://www.facebook.com/93brand

Reilly Bodycomb Seminar Review

This seminar review has been a long time coming.  I was fortunate enough to train with Reilly about a year ago during one of his visits to the Dallas area.  I've managed to stay in contact with Reilly since then and was able to help coordinate a seminar at our newly opened gym in June.  If you are not familiar with Reilly he is primarily a nogi grappler with a big concentration in sambo and leg locks.  He offers a very fresh point of view when it comes to grappling as I personally am very gi oriented and more accustomed to competing under a more strict rule set than he prefers.

The subject material for the seminar focused on leg locks and attacking the seated guard.  Reilly has a very cerebral approach to instruction that I can appreciate.  Rather than diving right into the "legal leg locks" most of us wanted to see he spent a good deal of time teaching "illegal" leg locks.  Why might you ask?  Well it's important to understand what makes them illegal in most BJJ competitions and why they are effective. Reaping ankle locks and heel hooks.  Explanation and demonstration about inside versus outside heel hooks were covered.  To finish up leg locks he showed us how to escape the positions which was refreshing.  Lots of time was allotted to drill and explore the positions/attacks.

Moving on from here Reilly showed various ways to attack with straight ankle locks over a seated opponent in open guard and the De La Riva guard (belly down ankle lock).  I can attest this is very effective.  I have seen him and his students pull these off in competitions.  I've also had good luck using the belly down ankle lock against teammates in rolling sessions to counter the De La Riva.

Reilly has a pretty interesting philosophy about guard passing and attacking.  He states that 'there are guards worth passing and guards not worth passing.'

"The purpose of a guard is to defend yourself against attack.  This is true for any combat sport if it's boxing, fencing, or grappling.  If a boxer leaves their hands to high or too low, then it is obvious for their opponent to attack them when they are open.  This is true for grappling in a way."

"Many guards that people employ are designed to stop the pass but not to stop the submission attacks on the legs.  The natural conclusion is that if the guard is not protecting the legs then there is no point to go out of your way for a pass when the nearest submission is right there."

"So I break guards up into three categories:
1. Guards that you pass
2. Guards not worth passing
3. Better guards that require an attack to see what opens up first...the pass or the leg lock"

So moving on from the leg attacks Reilly showed an excellent way to attack for the kimura over a seated opponent.  Specifically if the opponent attempts a single leg from the seated guard.  The situation sets up perfectly for a kimura from the standing position.  Even if the kimura cannot be finished a quality passing opportunity/scramble is initiated and option to get the back of your opponent.

Reilly has an excellent DVD on leg locks "Sambo Leg Locks for Nogi Grappling" that has been around for years.  You can purchase it directly at his website: http://www.rdojo.com/.

He also has digital downloads that you can purchase from his site.  The cool thing is you can pay what you want.  That is a pretty innovative offer you don't see very often.  That being said if you download I do recommend paying what you feel is fair as the material covered is very good.  Something worth noting is that Reilly only shows techniques that are functional and have been competition tested.  I have rolled with him and can tell you that he doesn't waste time on techniques he doesn't use himself.  Reilly is very open-minded when it comes to grappling as he cross-trains in various arts and is always looking to add tools to his unique and effective style.  If you get the opportunity to train with him or at a minimum study/train his instructional videos I highly recommend it.

Reilly's newest offering coming in September 2014:  "No Kurtka"
Purchase here: http://www.rdojo.com/dvds.html
& here: http://www.budovideos.com/no-kurtka-dvd-by-reilly-bodycomb.html

(Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x32RdqMjyAA)

Still not convinced?  Reilly recently won gold at an ADCC event in New York's Pro Division.
Here is a highlight of his matches from a month ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5R5Ocm7cW8

Reilly's Top Rock

(Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdncXVGr_so)

Reilly Bodycomb's 'Top Rock' - A dynamic top-game and leg-lock download

I had the pleasure of taking a private lesson with Reilly Bodycomb earlier this year.  My goal was to start focusing on a mostly IBJJF legal leg lock game. He was in town for an IBJJF legal leg lock seminar.  Due to scheduling conflicts on my part I decided to set up a private lesson with him.  Having seen his DVD's prior to the private lesson I knew he was legit but just five minutes into the private lesson I started to question what I had got myself into.  Reilly pulls no punches.  He wanted me to feel what a proper ankle lock feels like and by God I started to ask myself, "what did I just sign myself up for?!  I'm going to have to endure some punishment on my own legs to fully comprehend the amount of pressure he applies to get legit taps."  That being said it was probably the biggest bang for the buck private lesson I have ever done and I have done private lessons with World Champions.  I won't hesitate to train with him again when he is visiting my town. I have not seen his recent release but based on the reviews that I have read on various grappling sites I am incredibly anxious to purchase this myself.  Having recently promoted to brown belt I am excited to start implementing some of the more aggressive non-legal IBJJF leg locks into my game.

I highly suggest giving this seminar/video a good look among some of his other DVD's which can be purchased from http://www.budovideos.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Reilly+Bodycomb.  I had a completely non-existent leg lock game as a high purple belt and now have a much better understanding and much improved ability to threaten leg locks from various positions.

This particular seminar available for download in MP4 format is groundbreaking.  You have the ability to view the content and pay what you feel it is worth.  Give it a shot because I don't think you will be disappointed.  If you get the chance to train with him in New Orleans or just a private lesson I can't recommend it enough.  He is very intuitive to your needs and will custom tailor your lesson based on what you want.

Mobile users that have issues viewing the embedded video can locate it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdncXVGr_so