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The Omoplata System: Available Now For Pre-Order

Hi folks! A lot of y’all know that Jeff and Dave have started their own school, Bellingham BJJ.

During this time of school closures due to coronavirus, we took the time and completed a longtime goal: Jeff’s first instructional, the Omoplata System for BJJ. (We’re calling it #Omoplatapalooza)

This is a 2 hour, 40 minute digital instructional featuring more than 40 techniques and bonus content from black belt instructors (and podcast guests) Jake Whitfield and Josh Murdock.

For now, it’s available only to Bellingham BJJ students … but it’ll be open to the general public next week, and it’s just $40 via pre-order. Check it out! And then go shoulderlock somebody. Let’s get back to training soon, and until then, enjoy the videos.

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PODCAST: Oliver Taza

Oliver Taza is already one of the best no-gi grapplers in the world just 7 years after starting jiujitsu. He talks with us about how great instruction contributes to his success, about the mental and physical challenge of recovering from ACL surgery, about the similarities and differences between Firas Zahabi and John Danaher, and much more. We also talk about the new podcast he’s launched with Pierre-Olivier LeClerc, the Off Balance podcast, which you can check out wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks as always to our sponsors! US Grappling comes to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Jan. 4. Support the tournament that’s by grapplers, for grapplers, and has the best competitor experience around. Remember, black belts compete for free — and register early for the Richmond, Virginia event in April! Tell them we sent you. We’re also sponsored by Intellitonic. Rooted right here in Bellingham, Washington, Intellitonic is a Bellingham SEO and digital marketing agency with national reach. If you’re interested in Search Engine Optimization or Pay Per Click marketing, Intellitonic is a great choice.

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PODCAST: Felicia Oh at Bellingham BJJ

Felicia Oh is a legend of jiu-jitsu, the sixth woman outside of Brazil to earn a black belt — but her origin story in the art involves the Y2K scare, the LA Marathon and Rudy Fischmann. The masters world champion and ADCC silver medalist talks to us about what training with Jean-Jacques Machado and Eddie Bravo was like, and how 10th Planet came about; about starting at 33 years old and becoming an elite grappler, competing against all-time-greats like Leticia Ribeiro, Megumi Fujii and more; nearly having to walk away from jiu-jitsu and MMA due to chronic fatigue, and how she beat the illness and came back; and way, way more. Thanks to Felicia Oh for this interview!

US Grappling comes to Frederick, Maryland this weekend, June 29! Support the tournament that’s by grapplers, for grapplers, and has the best competitor experience around. Remember, black belts compete for free — and register early for the Richmond, Virginia event on Aug. 3! Tell them we sent you.

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If Jiu-Jitsu People Were Rappers

There are few things I love more than jiu-jitsu and hip-hop.

I’m not going to both making a comparison between the two art forms (although similarities, truth be told, abound between them). I will say that this started with me trying to explain to someone why Jean-Jacques Machado was such a badass, and the best comparison I had handy was “if he was a rapper, he’d be Erick Sermon — great on his own, great in a team, overcame obstacles, never made excuses and had staying power in a game where that’s hard to come by.”

With that start, I came up with 9 other examples. Do I want to hear yours? Obviously. That’s what comments are for.

Last note: If I were to add an 11th, more timely name, I’d compare Erberth  Santos to Tekashi 6ix9ine: both will probably end up in witness protection and everyone will know who they are anyway. Plus, 6ix9ine’s rainbow hair is less embarrassing than the Santa Claus beard Erberth rocked a few years back.

Without further ado: 

Roger Gracie and Rakim

The safe choice for the GOAT. Consistent excellence over many years. Old school that never seems dated. Perfect technique, which you should never sweat. Many imitators, none like the original.

 

KRS One and Renzo Gracie

Renzo live-tweeted his beatdown of a mugger, and left the dude with “raccoon eyes”; after a perceived slight, KRS bumrushed the stage and threw PM Dawn off and then performed “I’m Still Number One” on their stage at their show. Both are all time greats whose cultural impact is as large or larger than their considerable skills. Plus, if anyone other than Kris deserves the nickname “The Blastmaster,” it’s Renzo.

 

Michelle Nicolini and Lauryn Hill

Both versatile (Lauryn Hill put out classic albums solo and as part of a group, Michelle won top grappling honors gi and nogi to go along with a successful fight career). Both timelessly righteous.

 

Leticia Ribeiro and Queen Latifah 

Leticia is probably the most successful woman competitor ever. Plus, Studio 540 is a little like that time Latifah organized an all-star complement of musicians to close out the Arsenio Hall Show. Both royalty.

 

Jean-Jacques Machado and Erick Sermon

Jean-Jacques was born with only the thumb and the little finger on his left hand but became an elite, legendary figure in jiu-jitsu. Erick Sermon was born with a lisp and became a legendary figure in hip-hop. Jean-Jacques, if you’re reading this, being compared to the Green Eyed Bandit is a supreme compliment.

 

Dominyka Obelenyte and Dessa

Among the best of the new school. Both possess artistic talents beyond what we primarily know them for (Dom visual art, Dessa traditional poetry). Both succeed as individuals and as part of crews (Dessa with Doomtree, Dom with Rag Doll Camps and more).

 

Leka Vieira and Monie Love.

Critically important, deeply slept on. Get familiar if you aren’t.

 

Rolles Gracie and Big L

One was a free spirit who trained multiple martial arts and brought techniques back to jiu-jitsu; one was a freestyle king who made his mark young. Both still loom large today despite their untimely deaths.

 

Eminem and Fernando Terere

All-time greats who each struggled with addiction but overcame it and returned to their art. Stylistically, both are known for setting a frenetic pace but also do basically everything technically well. Plus, both do admirable community work.

 

Fabio Gurgel and Jay Z

If you’re of a certain vintage, you remember each of these men as a towering figure of the art, out-competing almost all comers. Now, if you Google Hova’s name, the first suggested searches are “Jay Z team” and “Jay Z net worth.” Similarly, though Fabio Gurgel should be on anyone’s list of all-time greats, he’s now mostly known as the General for his dominant-for-years Alliance team. He’s not a businessman; he’s a business, man.

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How to Dye a Blue Belt

This month, Bellingham BJJ had our first ever belt promotion ceremony. This was a fun landmark to celebrate, and it was always going to be significant — these are the first belts that are ever going to be part of my lineage, with my instructor awarding the belts to the deserving students who’ve been training with me these past 6 months or so.

That’s not the only reason this was a special day. My wife, Betsy, has been training for more than two years. She had more than earned a blue belt, but — as Marc Baquerizo once told me — the last thing you want is a belt that doesn’t fit. She knew that, as the instructor’s wife, she’d have to exceed all the standards. Which she, of course, did. That’s just how she rolls (pun fully intended).

Betsy’s favorite belts, by orders of magnitude, are the Green Gi hemp belts. I had one for my purple belt and loved it: looks great, stays tied, is soft and anti-microbial in addition to being cool looking. I wanted to surprise her with the belt she wanted.

The issue: the Green Gi is out of business, and the belts aren’t for sale any more. In fact, if it weren’t for my dear friend Chrissy Linzy of US Grappling — thanks, Chrissy! — I wouldn’t have been able to get my hands on any of the belts at all, since there were just a few belts left in stock. White belts.

Penguin socks not included.

I knew these were the belts Betsy wanted, though. Just a few months before the promotion, I caught her looking at hemp belts online:

Busted.

Thanks to Chrissy, though, I had a hemp belt already. I just needed to dye it.

I waited until Betsy was at work and busted out a big stewpot, some Rit Dye and the belt.

The instructions are fairly simple. First, you heat some water and then pour the dye in. You should also add fixative to prevent the color from fading.

Wet the belt first, to help it accept dye.

Add a teaspoon of liquid soap and fixative to the blend … and then drop your wet belt into the mix. The first 10 minutes are key, so be sure to stir constantly for even dyeing.

From there, it’s up to you to decide how dark you want the belt. I wanted to avoid the “so blue it’s purple” problem, so I left it in the bath about 20 minutes. Remember that it’ll be darker when it’s wet, so account for that.

You can leave it in for up to an hour, but the first 10 minutes are most important. After you decide it’s done, rinse the belt with cold water until it stops obviously bleeding. Then you want to wash it in warm water with a mild detergent, rinse and dry — by itself, just in case.

Betsy’s a North Carolinian, and we both worked at UNC-Chapel Hill, so I was pleased it came out a lovely Tar Heel Blue.

Go Heels.

Then, the toughest part: hiding it for about three months until the time was right.

This day was always going to be a special day. Having my instructor out for a great week of training and celebrating the hard work of everybody at the gym is a highlight of 2018 for sure. But I won’t lie: seeing that belt around Betsy’s waist was a particularly proud moment. Here’s to many more days like this one.

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PODCAST: MMA For Africa at Toro Cup 11

Were you at Toro Cup 11? Lourdes did a bunch of interviews with competitors — and with the people behind MMA For Africa, the beneficiary of the charity event. Hear about what inspired them, the centuries old Senegalese wrestling style that may be helping BJJ evolve, the possibility of African athletes on Toro Cup, and how YOU can volunteer to help.

Register online at usgrappling.com to compete on Sep. 29 in Virginia Beach, or in Greensboro, NC on Oct. 27. Both are Submission Only tournaments — and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! Plus, get ready for Sub Only Worlds on Dec. 1. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA — and welcome to our latest sponsor, Gold BJJ! To get a discount on anything at GoldBJJ.com, just enter DirtyWhiteBelt10 at checkout or follow this link and it will be directly applied:
goldbjj.com/discount/DirtyWhiteBelt10

If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Jason Wingate and Betty Broadhurst did this month — thanks, y’all!

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PODCAST: Grapplers, here’s how to prevent staph, MRSA and more

Hey grapplers, have you ever wondered what the best way to prevent skin infections is? How soon you need to shower after training, and what soap to use? Hey gym owners: want to know a few small, important steps you can take to keep your mats safer? Dr. Azam Anwar joins us to answer listener questions about just that! After Dr. Anwar’s battle with MRSA 10 years ago, he was inspired to figure out ways to prevent this from happening to others. His team developed a product called CLn BodyWash, which he talks to us about as well.

Register online at usgrappling.com to compete on Sep. 29 in Virginia Beach, or in Greensboro, NC on Oct. 27. Both are Submission Only tournaments — and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! Plus, get ready for Sub Only Worlds on Dec. 1. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA — and welcome to our latest sponsor, Gold BJJ! To get a discount on anything at GoldBJJ.com, just enter DirtyWhiteBelt10 at checkout or follow this link and it will be directly applied:
goldbjj.com/discount/DirtyWhiteBelt10

If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month — thanks, y’all!

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PODCAST: Masters Worlds with Chela Tu, Austin Daffron goes to Switzerland

It’s hard to make great radio while you’re competing on the big stage, but twin sisters Chela & Maylin Tu did just that while Chela was getting a bronze at masters worlds! You should hear the segment they produced — especially if you’re a jiujitsu competitor whose loved ones don’t understand it. We also do a long, featured interview with Austin Daffron, an active purple belt competitor in the Northwest whose jiujitsu travels are taking him to Switzerland.

Register online at usgrappling.com to compete onSep. 29 in Virginia Beach, or in Greensboro, NC on Oct. 27. Both are Submission Only tournaments — and if you need gi or nogi gear to compete, find the best products at cageside.com! Plus, get ready for Sub Only Worlds on Dec. 1. Thanks as always to our sponsors, US Grappling, Toro BJJ, and Cageside MMA — and welcome to our latest sponsor, Gold BJJ! To get a discount on anything at GoldBJJ.com, just enter DirtyWhiteBelt10 at checkout or follow this link and it will be directly applied:
goldbjj.com/discount/DirtyWhiteBelt10

If you want access to bonus content, you can support us at patreon.com/dirtywhitebelt, as Cody Maltais, Karl Krebs, Chris Holmes and Betty Broadhurst did this month — thanks, y’all!

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Thanks For The Business, Real Yoga Gear!

Three and a half years ago, I had an idea for a new Toro BJJ rashguard: I grew up playing 8-bit video games, so I thought it’d be cool to create a mock Jiu-Jitsu video game and put it on a rashie. I drew an 8-bit scene of me grappling with my buddy Sean, created a scene reflecting a game cartridge, and shipped it out. We got a great response and BJJHQ picked it up!

It’s always flattering when people dig your work, so I was pretty excited that a company called Real Yoga Gear had grabbed the design as well. Sure, they removed the “Toro” branding, but I’m sure that was just a mistake. They have a bunch of other rashguards on their site, and I’m sure none of those were lifted from other companies’ proprietary artwork. Even better, they say they handmake all their material right here in the USA, and I’m sure that’s true, too.

They even used my art in Instagram ads to drive people to their site! This is also a huge compliment for me, and I’m excited for the exposure. Even more exciting is the value they see in the work — they wouldn’t pick just any image as an ad, so it’s clear they see the financial returns art can create.

I love yoga, too, so I wanted to make sure to express my appreciation. I sent them the following message:

“Hello! I saw your ads on Instagram for the 8 Bit rashguard. I’m so glad you’re offering this product, since that’s original artwork I designed for Toro BJJ expressly for this purpose.

I notice that you’re both selling the rashguard and using it in Instagram advertisements. It’s super-flattering to know that you think my work has such value! I’m attaching my usual invoice for work of this nature.
My typical rate for licensing my art is $500 per piece, so please find my invoice attached. Because I love yoga and admire your commitment to making everything by hand in the USA, I’m willing to offer an alternative: a $250 donation to the Women’s Debate Institute, a great non-profit. You can even deduct it on your taxes! My invoice is here. (Also kindly note that Live to Roll / Roll to Live is a registered trademark of Toro BJJ).
Please note that merely taking down the ads and rash guard listing will not be enough to satisfy this invoice, since my work has already been used for profit. Please either send payment directly (I accept PayPal and Venmo) or proof of a non-profit donation by Oct. 1.
Thanks again,
Jeff Shaw”
I wanted to share this because I know that a lot of my friends make art, and would be as flattered by this as I was. Also, a lot of my friends are lawyers, and while I’m sure many of them would encourage me to take a different approach, I’m confident that Real Yoga Gear will accept my offer of a donation to a great non-profit before any of them send me offers of pro bono work.
Namaste!