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How To Reserve Your Keenan Cornelius DVD

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If you are a fan of competitive Jiu Jitsu, you have certainly heard the name Keenan Cornelius – He won his weight class and the open division at every major IBJJF tournament in 2012 at purple belt and he has become, without question, the most dominant brown belt in history.

Well, Keenan Cornelius is coming out with a new DVD series in a few days.

Here are some video samples of the Keenan Cornelius DVD which features over 100 of Keenan’s Competition Crushing Techniques.

There is going to be a huge demand for this dvd, and I’ve talked to Keenan about this already. He’s telling me there’s a limited amount of DVD’s to go around and you’ll want to follow these steps to make sure you reserve a copy of the Keenan Cornelius DVD.

1) Sign up for the VIP list here http://keenan-cornelius.com/

2) Check your email in the coming days for the release date and a link with more info on how to sign up

3) Like this Facebook Page for realtime updates on exactly when you can order the DVD

https://www.facebook.com/KeenanCorneliousDvd

Keenan Cornelius DVD

 

BJJ Core Exercise – Arm Band Rows From Plank Position

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Here is an excellent core building exercise for BJJ shown to me by Josh Brown. This exercise puts the torso in rotational stress and at the same time challenges stability in flexion.

This exercise can be done using elbows or hands like in the push up position.

Step 1) Attach a resistance band low, and you want to walk yourself back so the band provides quite a bit of resistance.

Step 2) Start in the plank position with the band in one hand.

Jordon Schultz Plank resistance band

Start/End

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next your objective is to take one hand and pull the band with a straight arm. Keep everything including your body and arm, are parallel to the floor. Essentially, you are rowing and pulling the band.

Towards the end of the movement bring the elbow down under you towards your hip. Make sure you don’t let your torso twist, bend, lean in order to compensate for the pulling action from the three point contact you have. You’ll need to engage the core and shoulder stabilizers to maintain that fixed plank position as you row twenty times with each hand for 3 sets.

Middle

Middle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the movement from a side angle.

Screen Shot 2013-04-09 at 10.02.44 PM

Middle

Start/End

Start/End

Mid-Movement
Mid-Movement

 

How To Get Better At Passing Closed Guard

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Yesterday I received the following reader question

Jordon,

I have huge problems when someone pulls full guard on me.
Do you have any tips on how to deal with that scenario?
That position is the worst one for me. I constantly work on fixing the problem but I would be thankful if you could give me an option or two so I could be more comfortable while passing full guard.

Thanks in advance, keep up the good work

My response is not typical, because techniques are not always the answer. Carefully guided specific training can sometimes be more beneficial…

Hey man,

First, you need to do deadlifts with a certified coahc and strengthen your back and legs and posterior chain.

Also you need to do 30 hours of closed guard training broken down into 1 hour sessions, 5 times per week.

In the training have your partner jump closed guard and your goal is (1) to open his legs, (2) to pass his guard. If you get swept or submitted start over, if you pass the guard start over. Do this with different size partners, of different skill level. Start with someone you can successfully pass 80% of the time and gradually find a partner who you only succeed 20% of the time. 

At the same time, you have to drill standing closed guard opens, 1000 times on the right side and 1000 on the left. Grab the collars with one hand and pants near the hip with the other, stand make your hips perpendicular, step back with one leg and let go of the hand on the lapels to open the guard. Immendetly back up and torrenado or knee cut, your choice. :)

Do this and email me when you’ve completed the 30 hours of specific training and 2000 total reps of drills and I’ll tell you what to do next.

Also keep a journal of your progress and troubles. 

Jordon Schultz

This is how I attack all BJJ problems, drilling, specific training, and a journal. It’s a lot of work, but I find learning new techniques simply masks the problem and is more or a treatment instead of practicing preventive medicine.

If the reader emails me back, with the same problem, then I will ask him to send me a video of his closed guard passing and we’ll go from there.

Training Grind Part 2 – Jordon Schultz Blog

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Today I bring you part 2 of my training grind blog!

Preface:

My training consists of 3 days of strength and conditioning
in the morning.

Yesterday I explained that I was about to step on the curve, a human
powered treadmill.

Jordon Schultz BJJ Curve

Jordon Schultz BJJ Curve

——

I hate the curve, because you can’t float. You have to go all out, and
the burning in my lungs after I get off makes me double over.

I do my first interval. I do 30 seconds
then I get off and check my heart rate.

170 bpm… I wait until it’s under 150 to go again
but every week it drops faster.

I do this over and over for eight minutes. At the end I
collapse. Let my heart rate drop to below 120 and
do it all over again.

After my interval is over I do a foam-roll, collect my
things and start the long drive back to maryland.

Bye man, Joe says, as I walk out the door. I say
farewell and haul ass – I don’t have much time.

I pick up Trey on the way – a white belt who
doesn’t drive. I give him rides when I can. He’s
a good kid – 20 years old, wants to do MMA.

He needs a good mentor and I talk to him
about dedication, drive, pursuit of goals and
hard work as we drive.

I tell the kid about my mindset, about how
all it takes in one.

“all it takes is one” is a mantra I live by. And it
came to me from a mentor at a very critical
point in my life, actually it saved me life…more
on that later.

I say “all it takes is one match, one tournament, you
can lose a thousand times, but if you tap a good guy,
that’s when the magic happens.”

He asks about failure and I say:

“Trey, in this game failure is around every corner, but when you
view it like a corrective tool, like a smart teacher
standing over your shoulder telling you, “that doesn’t
work – try something else” failure becomes your best
friend, your guide.

He laughs. You don’t actually like failure do you, he says.

I don’t, Trey, I hate it actually, I say.

But it’s grown on me, I say.

He goes quiet for a moment and nods
as if he understands.

We arrive to the school and start the first
session of the day…

Continued soon!

Jordon Schultz

Jordon Schultz bjj

Jordon Schultz bjj

Jordon Schultz bjj

Jordon Schultz bjj

 

 

European Blog Part 5 – Jordon Schultz BJJ

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I’m back at the hotel, my last night in portugal…

jordon schultz bjj worlds 2011

jordon schultz bjj worlds 2011

Something about this city, the cobblestone streets,
the strong portugal air – my mind is restless.

With only one match during the tournament
my body is fresh – not spent like it usually is
after a typical 5-8 match tournament.

It’s 10pm, I go to my teammates room to
hangout – kill time. I catch them in the hallway
and ask where they are going…

They smirk – we’re going to eat they said.
Do you want to go? I decline.

But I wasn’t the slightest bit hungry, so I went
back to my room and sat in the pitch dark.

I’m restless – I cant sleep – It’s 4am and all
I can do is flip though TV channels and think
about the days events over and over in my head.

6 am comes and I’m still awake, but I feel relieved, the
breakfast buffet opens in one hour. At least I’ll be able to
sleep on the plane.

I walk up to the 9th floor and wait by the door for
the buffet to open. The food here feels unnatural to me
- it’s all bread – everything is bread.

On the flight home I’m uneasy. My parents are going
to pick me up from the airport. They were passing
through DC on the way to a wedding and wanted
to see me for a day. More my mother actually. If it were
up to my father I’d we’d never talk again.

I’ve never had a good relationship with my father -
in fact it’s been terrible.

But I tell my team mates that I’ve made a momentous decision.

I’m going to hug the old man.

I havent hugged him in 10 years. I tell myself – you one live once…

I see my father at the gatet, wearing a baseball cap. He looks
old, mean and weathered.

I rush towards him, close my arms around him, and squeeze.

He doesn’t move an inch. He stiffens like a board.

I release him and tell myself I’m never doing that again.

Continued tomorrow…

jordon schultz bjj
Jordon Schultz BJJ

Jordon Schultz BJJ

Jordon Schultz BJJ

 

Europeans Blog Part 5 – Jordon Schultz

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The match begins. I’m pull closed guard. I’m confident

Jordon schultz european

Jordon schultz european

and I setup sweeps, attack omo platas. He digs in. I dig in deeper.

I’m sweeping, he makes a mistake and I get on top.
Before I can start to pass I make a mistake and he
pulls me into x-guard and sweeps back.

Shake it off. Control what you can Jordon Schultz.

I continue to attack, he’s up an advantage.

The match ends – I walk off the mat. I take a sip
of water – - I’ve lost. Shit.

My mind is now forcibly spinning me into
the past. I see everything, with shining clarity.

People often ask me what it’s like to lose, and
I can never think of how to describe it. But the
word that comes closest – gut wrenching.

I’ve spent 6 years losing – several times a year.
Sometimes multiple times per tournament. But
when I’ve won it’s been at the biggest tournaments
of my career.

I’ve wanted to quit countless times. But something
in my gut, some deep muscle, won’t let me.

After I collect my thoughts I meet my coach in
the lobby and we exchange thoughts. He gives me
advice – pure gold – as usual.

We spend the rest of the day watching wins
and losses. I think about my drilling.

If I drill 300 reps a day, I’ll hit 1500
reps each week, that’s 78,000 reps a year….

I believe in math. Numbers don’t lie. If I can hit
78,000 reps of my A sweep and A pass by the end of the
year I’ll be satisfied. But they mist be perfect reps.

A single bad rep counts negative 100 reps, but when I hit
a perfect one – I enjoy a split second of sanity and calm.

At the dinner table we discuss our performance. I order
the octopus. A mistake.

After dinner we head back to the hotel. an pale,
uncomfortable building built in the 1970′s, white stucco
with naked concrete on the interior.

The windows have bars. And the two elevators
barely fit 3 people.

I lay down on the stiff mattress and can’t sleep,
my mind racing with the days events. I can’t stand
the thought of another night here. But I would soon
find out that tonight would be the longest nights of them all….

Continued monday…. :)

Jordon Schultz

Jordon schultz european blog

Jordon schultz european

European Blog Part 3 – Jordon Schultz

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I wake up and it’s Saturday morning. DJ competes today in
the Black belt open class. The temperature
in Portugal has risen dramatically. It’s warm today.

I walk to the venue again, even though I told myself
I’d take a cab to keep my legs fresh.

During the walk I notice the cobblestone
sidewalks, so evenly spaced, and meticulously
arranged. I tell myself: Stop noticing so many things Jordon.
Focus on the tournament.

As I enter the venue the crowd gets louder.
Alexander Trans just beat Leo Neoguria. He’s huge.

It’s louder in there than I ever thought it would be,
louder than I’ve ever heard at the worlds in California.

I keep my hood up, and let the noise wash over me.

The mat, where I’ve felt so lonely and exposed, is where
I’ll find refuge tomorrow. I can do nothing now but wait, keep checking
my weight and stretch.

We go out to eat- the whole team – the mood is good. I eat
a salad, hand spun with olive oil and the most delicious salmon
steak I’ve ever had. I’m one pound over as I step on the scale before
I go to bed. I’m nervous. So I take a zyquill at 8pm and set my iphone
alarm for 7am.

I tell myself: Tomorrow is time, Control what you can control Jordon.

It’s 7am sunday morning. I’m up at 10am. I go to the breakfast
buffet and eat some bread. Bread for the first time in 8 weeks.
I can eat carbs now, all that matters is the physical weight of the food.
No fluids, I’m too close to 163, my max weight.

Here comes the first big tournament of the season. I feel a magnetic
force pulling me – the drive to win – to succeed. And another force
pushing me – fear of losing – nervousness, and excitement.

I watch the Miyao bothers warm up, read the bible and play around
with the berimbolo. Those little dudes have good guards. My division
gets called and I walk up to the gi-check station.

Bad news – my belt has no black stripe. I’m told the only way I can compete
is with a belt that has a black stripe. I shake it off. Walk to the front
of the venue and start asking the vendors if they have a brown belt.

Atama has one but it’s an A3, one size too big. It wil have to work.
I get the belt and hurry back to get checked again and make weight.
I take a sip of water, the first water I’ve had in 24 hours.

I look across the mat for my coach, he’s here and I wave to him
to let him know I’m ready.

I abandon all thought. I say to myself: Fundamentals.

I walk to the center of the mat and tighten my belt. It’s time.

Continued tomorrow….

Jordon Schultz

European Blog Part 2 – Jordon Schultz

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After 5 hours in the Amsterdam airport I hear
the voice of the flight attendants. It’s time to board
for portugal. I know I’m in good hands, European people
take their jobs to heart. And, to them nothing is more
important in life, than a job well done.

We board the plane to Lisbon, Portugal. We arrive
in less than 2 hours and take a taxi to the hotel.
I lie on the bed, and turn on the TV.

I stand, shake out my legs. The traveling tightened my muscles,
my fascia, I need to stretch.

I try to stretch my legs, test my hamstrings, my hips.
Not bad. I’m getting lose. All systems go.

I decide to try and stay up all day, it’s two-thirty pm
and if I go to sleep now I’ll be horribly jet-lagged.

I succeed and manage to keep myself busy all
day, although my eyes feel heavy. The next day
we go to the venue. I see the referees, suited up.

I sit there in the stands watching the purple belts. For a
moment I fell jealous. I miss that belt. Then I run my hand
over the brown belt in my backback and feel grateful for it.

There are no clocks in the stadium. Something that deep down
always bothers me. You lose track of time in there.

After a long day of coaching, observing, we walk back to
the hotel through the winding streets of Lisbon. My mind drifts
and I think about my grips. I obsess about them. And I need to..

Grips can be the difference in a guard pass, or a sweep, and a guard
pass or a sweep can be the difference in a match, and a match can be
the difference in a career, and a career can mean the difference for not only
my life, but countless others lives, my future families life, my parents lives.

When I get a grip, it could be worth everything.
My grips are one of the small things I can control,
out of the countless thing that
are beyond my control… So I obsess about them…

Then I feel my calluses and for a moment remember
how not long ago my hands were once soft and fragile. Over time
they have become disfigured, fingers lengthened and
twisted like roots of an old tree.

My calluses are a by-product of not just my training, but
of the olympic lifting, the rope climbs, the gi pull-ups.

I turn to one of my teammates and say

“quite a walk to the hotel, is this near a mile?”

“it’s 1.5 km actually” he says

Then he says: “Tomorrow we’ll take a cab, guard players need their legs fresh”

“Agreed”, I say and we finish the walk to our rooms…

Continued tomorrow in part 3

Jordon Schultz

My Blog From The Europeans :)

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I boarded the plane to Amsterdam in Washington D.C
on wednesday evening. The flight was long
and my back muscles hated me for that 8 hours.

Every attempt to get comfortable was
frutile and even though I was able to
sneak to an empty 3 seat block and lay
down the pain didn’t subside.

When the nerves protest, when
they send out distress signals
a pain runs down my leg and
takes my breath away.

The only remedy is to take a hot shower.

The sound of the seatbelt beep
interrupts my thoughts. I tighten
it and get ready to land.

After the plane lands in Amsterdam
I look at my boarding pass. A 5 hour layover.

The airport was cold, like ice and we walked
about a 1/2 mile through a maze of terminals
to reach our gate. I remind myself that I can’t eat
much – I’m two pounds over weight.

Now I can take a nap. It’s eight-thirty AM, and
we have 4 hours to kill. I try to get comfortable on the
concrete floor but it’s impossible. The floor
is as cold as ice, and every attempt to pad myself
proves useless. I should have dressed warmer.

Maybe sleeping on my gi top will work. I lay it out
and curl into a ball near the wall. Typically I have trouble
sleeping in public places, but I’ve been awake for 20 hours.

I start thinking about the tournament and decide if I can’t sleep
I’ll walk around. But the walking turned to endless pacing.

I tell myself, whatever happens at the tournament I’ve
been through it at least once before.

If it’s a physical test, a mental test, it’s nothing new.

Continued tomorrow…

Jordon Schultz BJJ

Bolombera Preview

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Hey Everyone! Here is a video preview of a new move I’ve been experimenting with in the lab. It’s called the Bolombera! Now I can’t show you the whole move because I promised my law of Guard Platinum members I’d let them learn it first before I release it to everyone!