On BJJ Team Loyalty and more - Coach Zahabi AMA

[@RamseyDewey]

When I started fighting, hands on the mat didn't count as a downed opponent- you had to have one knee down, on your back, or sitting to be considered downed. Both the 3 and 4 points of contact rules are confusing and exploitable. Hands down shouldn't count.

[@saadoa4969]

At 18:15, Firas is talking about Lando Vannata and not Vemola and his fight against David Teymur in ufc 209. Thanx for the great content Firas!

[@CoachZahabi]

Saad ouali alami thanks for the correction I totally dropped the name. Very sorry

[@matthewlaplant8919]

Excellent thoughts on starting jiu jitsu/grappling later in life. I've learned one of the greatest lessons from grappling. Getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Once you embrace this concept you can do anything you want. Thanks Coach!

[@ijustwannaleaveacommentony6511]

to the 37yo guy - do it! i'm 42, been at jiujitsu for a little over 2 years, blue belt now. i'm incredibly fit and strong, i run rings around the younger guys who always gas-out early and comment on my lack of tiredness. i've won gold medals and will be competing agan soon i can honestly say jiujitsu has greatly improved my life. my only regret is i didn't discover it sooner. trust me 37 is young! start now my frend by the time you are my age you will be a dangerous purple belt

[@dualmass]

You forgot to mention your humble as well 👏

[@Funnybudtender]

Hows it going now purple belt?

[@Leo-iq7um]

@@Funnybudtender i guess haha. congrats for him

[@app369]

For 42 you have the spelling of a 6 year old.

[@tomsawyer7429]

How is your bjj journey going???

[@blackbeltbento6030]

Thank you for being straight forward, "don't go next door". Legit reasoning behind a touchy topic. Thank you so much you've helped confirm my personal values and my future decisions in teaching and managing students.

[@CoachZahabi]

Glad I can help

[@Lloocii]

¨Mma was never my friend.¨ - Reebok

[@zackfranco6829]

Liked this without even watching. Firas always putting up quality videos.

[@Seegie16]

lol. same here Im about 40 seconds in

[@seandunn8657]

I liked your comment without even reading it. Zack Franco always makes the best comments.

[@omerdeniz5672]

Sean Dunn liked your reply without even reading Sean Dunn makes the best replies

[@hamzaayaz357]

19:45 What an interesting question. I wonder if it would be beneficial to spend another hour to teach a basic double leg and how to control the position once they get the takedown, and teach them a couple of strikes (like ground and pound)?

[@Svettjan]

We're getting life lessons all over the place. Cheers coach

[@randomhobbyist]

I'm a judo player. Judo and BJJ overlap a ton. I have trained 3x more in Judo than BJJ. should i feel pressured into branding myself under a Bjj instructor when their teaching really doesn't represent my game?

[@bono894]

I used to be one of those guys that shifted from gym to gym not thinking anything of it. Now as an instructor myself I can understand why it might have pissed some people off or alienated them. I think in the beginning it's a common thing because new students are so thirsty for knowledge. I'm not proud of it and regret doing it but unfortunately we can't take back mistakes. I like coach Zahabi's advice of having a network of schools that give you a different flavor without compromising the relationship between student and coach. I would add that it's a good idea probably to talk it over with your coach if you plan on learning from another source. Personally I don't see much point nowadays as almost everything you ever needed is on the internet regarding martial arts knowledge. This was not the case when I first started.

[@SportsCardLedger]

What do you suggest for a blue belt in the initial years 1-4 in terms of: after learning the basic fundamentals like general defense, guard passing escapes, & basic subs. How many things should I really focus on to figure out what I want to be a expert in. For example, how many different guards did you consistently drill. Did U pick 2-3 or did explore everything. did you focus on consistently drilling side control attacks, mount attacks, back attacks, closed guard attacks etc. Or did u pick 1 or 2 to be a expert in. Basically what I want to know is as a blue belt should you pick everything and touch on surface details or should you pick 2 or 3 things and dig deep.

[@volodiaarnaud599]

Hey Firas, I'm from France and passionate about martial arts and would love to train at Tristar. Besides the cost of flying over to Canada, how much would it be to train in your gym for 2 weeks, every day all day long (like accommodation, Tristar's fees and food, roughly speaking, I don't need a precise amount i know you're not a tour operator). Thanks for all your videos, you're one of a kind.

[@D9Wx]

Man zahabi! U should do this more often.. a weekly podcast on mma news and different things u wanna put out.. I LOVE listening to you speak about martial arts. You could have fighters in your gym as guests? And maybe coaches from other gyms that u know, for example kavanaggh?

[@bodhiyoga5814]

This video is so good. The questions are great, and the answers are even better. Thank you.

[@6laka.]

Hey Coach, do you think you could do a video (or videos) on defensive head movement, as far as slipping, bobbing and weaving, etc.?

[@kcwliew]

Benzilla. you should be asking Edmond Taverdyan?

[@6laka.]

Shiiiit you're right, I just have to have my coach scream "HEAD MOVEMENT" while I'm wobbled.

[@emil7088]

Yea please

[@RyanDLoLo]

I think for the downed opponent rule it should be similar to football, knees or elbows any one of those touching means you're down. It provides something closer to realistic fight situations but doesn't allow the Pride style soccer kicks.

[@Tphay]

Thank you Firas, you are full of wisdom!

[@frankostermann2401]

regarding the grounded opponent rule, i've heard that in order for the knees to be considered illegal you need to have both palms flat on the ground or fists fully touching the ground. Demetrious Johnson said this in a fan q and a

[@jeffreykclark]

I started jiu jitsu at 49 yrs old... blue belt currently... having a great time with it...

[@reaper9340]

In response to comments about Weidman/Mousasi fight - Do you think kicks to a grounded opponent rule should be removed altogether or is it a good rule? With the evolution of modern BJJ would stomp attacks be used less as they could open you up to leg lock attacks and potential sweeps, thoughts?

[@Skabinflaff]

great video! regarding Weidman Vs Mousasi, it seems to me that instead of using something ambiguous like amount of pressure, instead say: 1) palms of hands & soles of feet on ground - kicks/knees to head illegal and 2) grounded with anything other than soles of feet (e.g. knees, butt, back, side) - kicks/knees to head illegal

[@McFasty3924]

Great vid Firas, these keep getting better all the time! I always figured the downed opponent rule was easily exploited. It was funny when Jon Jones basically crawled across the ring. What is really stopping a guy walk along using hands knees elbows etc? No strikes to the back of the head allowed either so if you tip your head down and face the floor they can only uppercut your forehead if anything. So an expert grappler should probably just shoot for a single from the downed opponent stance constantly until it lands? The kicking of the legs to downed fighters, as well as Axe kick style strikes to the body are allowed I think? Upkicks from the bottom and such make all of this is very messy. I know this is martial arts but it's also 'cage fighting', let's make it easier for the ref's and remove the vagueness. We should allow all the currently legal techniques to be used in any position, to the current legal striking areas. So a foot stomp to the liver is fine, but not the back of the head or groin.

[@SC2warms]

I dont think the "pressure" rule is an actual rule. I believe Herb Dean explained it as pressure is what the ref uses as an indicator if the hands are touching the ground. As a way to make it more clear in the "spirit" of the rule change to combat the hand trickery against knees. Also, it wasnt the ref which called off the fight, it was the doctors who said he couldnt continue. I get the point of him not focusing on getting ready when he is told its illigal knee and he has 5 min, but when the doctors come in and ask him questions, he can either choose to man up and answer their questions and let the fight continue, or work towards a DQ like a puzzy. Or he was actually super hurt and couldnt remember which month it was and the stoppage was perfect.

[@benjaminhorowitz9927]

My coach doesn't ask us to promote our gym but he doesn't want us to train anywhere else. My academy is pretty much my only option. I like our training but we only train 3 times a week. Some of us train at other places secretly because we don't grapple a lot (about 1 time a week). What should I do?

[@dksf-xe6fd]

Also didn't you train Mickey Gall when he fought Sage Northcutt?

[@verazheleznyak2040]

Thank you for all the videos!!!

[@timtaylor9590]

explosive stretching?? whats the difference with mobility?

[@Rivamus]

I could listen to this guy all day

[@supernalbjj]

knee to the head solution, either knees are always ok or no knees to an opponent when his shoulders are on the mat, people will stop sitting in turtle, wrestlers wont be able to get up as easily and we will see why the bjj guard was such a game changer in real fights.

[@limejuicetin]

I would've bet all my chips on "mount-escape" for a 1 hour self-defence class. Loved your answer much better. "puncher's chance"

[@kcwliew]

Firas said it... 20.13 'HEAD MOVEMENT! HEAD MOVEMENT'... that's all you need to know right there.

[@matthewmanetti8560]

i think the downed opponent rule should be the knee/off of feet. so one hand or two, if you're on your feet=legal

[@aleksanderforsbakk2659]

how old do you have to be to join tristar gym ?

[@anthemsalgado]

Started Jiu jitsu at 38. It's never too late. 20:55

[@Leo-iq7um]

keep it at man...you still going?

[@jitsulee652]

Firas the more i listen to you, the more the admiration for you grows in me. I can't have enough of you..please go to Joe Rogan Podcast.

[@JungleScene]

I agree.... with or without georges. A 1on1 with you and joe would be amazing, or maybe even with edgie brah (as long as he doesnt talk about lizard people flat earth shit)

[@Durrrville]

Love all your vids Firas! Definitely hanging out for another technique vid though! How about striking vs bjj 2, with aggressive blue belts this time ;)

[@WoRDWIZZ666]

Go to Joe Rogan, damn it! You guys have much to talk and a minimum of 3 hours podcast! He talks about you with so much respect.

[@marcustuchel1168]

Firas, I have a question concerning non competitive rolling. I had this guy's back and he was defending the rear naked choke really well so I thought about doing a cross face squeeze but didn't as I did not want to be "mean". What should someone do in that situation?

[@MSAli86]

Marcus Tuchel Wearing a gi? My sensei encourages me to try a gi choke instead

[@marcustuchel1168]

Yes it was in gi and he was defending by holding each lapel with his thumbs so I couldn't squeeze my hand in to grab his lapel

[@jakkek1116]

Marcus Tuchel Go for bow n arrow, triangle from back, armbar etc

[@marcustuchel1168]

Thanks

[@chris-lf7on]

Hey bro, awesome as always. Just to address a previous question. Is there anything i can do if i have a shoulder injury to be able to train bjj ? Thanks :)

[@paragon1782]

Jaffa Juice he will just tell you to buy the book becoming a supple leopard lol

[@chris-lf7on]

Paragon of Growth lol, thx buddy :)

[@michaelbaggett731]

The 6 dislikes came from the gym next door. Great episode and very inspirational.

[@frankostermann2401]

the weidman-mousasi fight would have continued but when doctors asked him what day and month it was he didn't know and that's why they stopped it.

[@kenpachizaraki4184]

Can you talk about what it means to be the p4p number one fighter in your personal opinion? People have different opinions on what that means. Some people measure it by who they beat (records/MMA math), some people measure it by skill/ability. Cormier believes it's about how well your skills translates through other weight divisions. What's your take?

[@seandavidr]

In the beginning of the match the fighters are told to defend themselves at all times. Touching the ground to avoid strikes is not defending yourself it's playing the rules.

[@thaitran3985]

I wonder how much it costs at tristar Apparently its not that much

[@sylver76]

About the grounded opponent rule which requires "pressure", I think the pressure requirement makes sense for the fighters: the fighter on top throwing the knees can not see if the hands of his opponent are "touching", but he can feel if his opponent's weight is on the mat or not. The issue is whether or not the opponent is grounded. If his weight is on his feet, than he is not really grounded, even if he puts the tips of his fingers on the mat. Considering how tricky it is for the ref to figure out if there is enough pressure, I would be in favor of changing the definition to "at least one knee on the ground" and disregard the position of the hands. If we look at the Weidman-Mousasi fight, Weidman was trying to use the rules instead of trying to defend. Without the option of putting his hands on the mat to become a grounded opponent, he would have put his hands in front of his face and tried to block the knees, which is a lot safer than touching the ground, hoping to get the opponent disqualified.

[@ShoesMagoo]

How about they change the rules to simply allow knees to the head of a grounded opponent? Disallowing them removes such a significant slice of martial tactics that it changes the whole way that that area of fighting takes place, making it less of a facsimile of a real combat situation. Shouldn't fighters have to learn to deal with this very common aspect of fighting instead of getting to shuck off the consequences of failed takedowns, getups, etc.? The issue of people taking advantage of the one or two hands down rule is never going to go away because there will always be people who are willing to play that cat and mouse game. However, I do agree that soccer kicks (to the head of a grounded opponent) should remain illegal because of the tremendous potential for heavy, permanent damage to take place, especially in such a small window of time.

[@300jhonattan]

no loyalty is not more important than knowledge, there u go my friend

[@stillnessinmovement]

more great stuff. you might want to take this coaching info and package it into something to teach to new coaches? could do a world of good.

[@MrWackywilson]

thanks firas, this is awesome bro, keep this up, been watching for quite a while now

[@brucebousquet1431]

Knees should be legal like ground strikes like up kicks if not who originals Jiu-jitsu fighters can compete

[@kingkai44]

knee on the ground, or both palm/fist on the ground for the knee to be illegal

[@cunningham.s_law]

www.defensetech.co does not work

[@billgates8744]

Firas why isn't there as much sweeps in MMA, also can you just really on strength I mean Hendricks did against George but i would like to know if it's just strength that is more important then technique.

[@vmbrazilianjj]

the strentgh assists with technique at that stage because if you are going just technical with a guy the same skill level but using strength, you are going to lose Im guessing there arnt many sweeps because as soon as you open your legs ur opponent is just gonna leave

[@michaelfedenyszen1158]

as always, very enlightening

[@mubeen4595]

Firas really hit the nail on the head.

[@Trevlee74]

To be a downed opponent, one should have to have one knee on the floor. Hands have no place in this discussion. Knee down, you're down. It should be that simple.

[@CoachZahabi]

Trevor Hollibaugh that's actually a very good idea cause you can play touch and go with you knee. I like it!!

[@seandavidr]

I like how it's done in the NFL, where you're down if any part of the body except the hands or the feet are touching the ground.

[@niveaulimbo6101]

Trevor Hollibaugh definitly a good idea, there might be a problem with knee strikes against takedowns which seem to happen quite often in recent events, it would maybe a bit difficult to decide if they were legal.

[@Sean1547]

Firas personally I think it should always be legal to throw those knees, the only reason I can think of (as a white belt) for Weidman to attempt to plant both his hands there is playing the game of the old ruleset, it's very dangerous. Remove the rule and fighters won't consider the tactic in the future. Less wrestlers getting mean knees to the head on attempted takedowns, less head trauma for messing with rules, happy days.

[@braythirteen]

Thank you for posting this video!

[@benjaminhorowitz9927]

I think you should allow your students to go to other gyms but they should represent your gym if they fight

[@SamuraiKidMusic]

firas 'etc' zahabi

[@dimecanal]

coach firas your always the best!!

[@abisaya2]

so is Team Alpha Male territorial?

[@H4lll]

Best Coach in the Game

[@TheChurchofCacti]

Gunnar and McGregor vs GSP and Florian...tag team match!

[@TheChadavis33]

"It's you".....Firas speaking some truth.

[@rakaftan]

In my opinion, hands shouldn't define downed opponent. Knees, elbows, back - more likely, but certainly not FINGERS.

[@keithdesautels6516]

To me the rule of the "no knees if a hand in on the ground" is ridiculous. They way I see it, a fighter shouldn't be able drop a hand to the mat (exposing his head), to cause a legal knee strike to the head, to become illegal... Its too easy to play on those rules.. The way I see it, I think the hands should be irrelevant.. It should be about whether you are on your feet or not.. If you are standing on both feet anything should go.. To be considered a grounded opponent (at least in my opinion), you should have to have one knee down.. With this way, there will be less grey areas in terms of the rules, and less referee discretion needed.. resulting, in far less "controversial" endings to the fights...

[@supernalbjj]

i tell my guys dont train in a bjj gym near me. if your misses etc lives an hour away, then thats ok roll in a gym near her house, im also weary of people who defect from gyms close by and come to mine, i always find out why, i dont want unapreciative students. for all the students who may read this. it is a sport. imagine its football, you dont go train with the teams you are going to compete against. another issue that comes up is when your students start getting good and thier egos get involved, saying they just want to roll with more high level guys as an excuse to go to other gyms, as a coach this is a shit attitude to see in students, competitions are the time to go represent your years of training with your gym and roll with other high level guys. this is the one that hurts the most as a coach, in the end we cant controll the lives of students but sometimes it feels like years of effort getting thrown back in your face. that said every one is free to do what they want

[@janadrian]

"Burn the ships" some people attribute the phrase to Hernán Cortés, however, it belongs to Alexander the Great... "Watch the boats burn ... That is the only reason we must win, because if we do not win, we will not be able to return to our homes and none of us will be able to reunite with his family again, nor will be able to leave this land. We must emerge victorious in this battle, since there is only one way back and it is by the sea. Gentlemen, when we return home we will do it in the only possible way, in the ships of our enemies."

[@OldManPaxusYT]

Good answer! Agree totally - too long for me, i left at 11 mins - coz u answered it perfectly well by the 10 mins mark! 👍 'd #Paxus Rating: ★★★ ½

[@Jazzhands1337]

I get it. But it's a shame that it's that way. I never had competitive aspirations. I dabbled in competition but my main goal was always the catharsis of hard training, spiritual growth, and self defense. I'm not looking to compete against anyone but myself really. With all due respect, I have serious reverence toward martial arts but it's not my whole life. I switched from a gi school to a no gi/mma school because I needed to learn that angle. So I dunno I've always been kind of a lone wolf and I don't mean to be selfish but I'm not into the whole taking sides thing like that. I like to train with good people and I don't care what flag they bear. If that makes me a traitor so be it.

[@AndersRosendalBJJ]

No knees when the opponant has both knee on the floor. Otherwise yes.

[@AntoineFabri]

The Gracie's not greener on the other side

[@JeffRey-xs3jm]

firas you are the man. I wish you all the best :D

[@minlee5376]

I believe trustee is the best for mma fighters

[@Angelo101117]

To me a knee should be always legal. One hand down, two hands down... even from a side mount.

[@crazydunker92]

a fighter should be considered "grounded" ONLY in the following scenarios: 1. any body part BUT the soles of their feet touch the ground OR 2. when ONE foot's sole is touching the ground ALONGSIDE another body part with the exception of the other foot (i.e. knee, hand) ALSO a strike shouldn't be deemed illegal if it occurs in the transition of one fighter going from being standing to grounded. Example: Assume fighter A is initiating a double-leg on fighter B, but IMMEDIATELY B counters with a well-timed knee to the head of A. The knee shouldn't be considered illegal even if at the point of connection fighter A might be considered technically grounded, because it happened during the transition.

[@ked4]

28:19

[@quinlansee1]

14:52 toooooo much knowledge being dropped

[@ChristopherShaw]

Knees and kicks to a "downed opponent" should be legal, IMO. Also get rid of ban on "downward elbow strikes." It's MMA, people, not points karate.

[@calom4823]

Anybody can soccer kick somebody . Anybody can explode the head of somebody and murder him with a knee when u down . What the point to let profesionnal fighter murder each other with those technique ?

[@MichaelPhillips-jw4bj]

That's the point. If regular people can do it, it becomes more important to defend+utilize. This sport is meant to see who the hand to hand combat fighters are. Leaving something out a layman would is not a good idea( the only reason they do is because it's so dangerous it trumps my point above)....... Also chute boxe fighters in pride had epic combinations with stomps and soccer kicks, ..... I.e hook,hook, guard comes up, then plumb tie knees, then a wrestling snap down to a soccer kick! Note as he puts his head up throw a high kick. he won't see it coming. ..... Also see Matsu vs murilo ninja Rua for hands to stomp combination etc

[@daryl1754]

I'm one of those guys with the hard to leg lock ankles hahaha

[@domperigowned4830]

Touching your fingertip to the ground so you can't be kneed in the head is an awful rule. It should be very simple, both palms at minimum to be be a grounded opponent.

[@morbidblood98]

That‘s why i love bjj globetrotters, share knowlege worldwide

[@robodwyer4115]

Imagine having Firas as a couch.. and then going next door

[@WilhelmDrake]

Instructors aren't giving anything to their students. They are selling and students are buying.

[@rabahalnasseri8297]

when you want coach Zahabi to be your dad.

[@11gingin]

bullshit rule, knee to the head is the same as a headbutt

[@RandomBJJGuy]

Jesus. I'm sorry but no. this is 2017. not ancient Japan. team loyalty is OK. but at the end of the day, you pay your instructor to teach you. that's that. he has no right to tell you what you can and can't do outside. if he doesn't want your money then he can kick you out. If an instructor doesn't let you go anywhere else to train then it is simply his EGO. Idc how good he is it's still EGO

[@Allanrpsx]

High level competitors often do not pay to train. In the cases where the relationship is built purely off success in sport, loyalty is an important part of the student/teacher relationship. Obviously when monetary factors are introduced, the relationship is different....

[@RandomBJJGuy]

Allanrpsx I'll take that answer. I agree if it becomes a professional relationship then yea team loyalty matters. but if we are talking the average white blue purple belts still paying to train or just training casual then that's just coaches' insecurity if they try and restrict them

[@dksf-xe6fd]

If you own a restaurant, would you be mad if one of your patrons ate somewhere else? I understand that relationships are built, but this team loyalty thing is stupid imo. You can have more than one relationship with coaches.

[@shradhey]

1290dksf that’s a bad comparison. There is no one who goes to as many different gyms as they go to restaurants. Going to a gym is different. You don’t represent the restaurant. You don’t compete on behalf of the restaurant. Restaurant don’t give you a uniform to have a meal there. The person is giving you food, not showing you the skills to cook it. You don’t get promoted for eating food at a restaurant. I agree that a student has the right to change the gym if they want. They should do that knowing that they might not be welcome back. That’s right of the gym owner. Who they train and choose not to train is right of the coach. I also agree with Firas that it shouldn’t be the gym next door, a competing gym. If you move to another city or country of course you have to change gym. Some people are impatient and don’t understand that it takes time to learn BJJ. They think if they go to different gyms they will master it sooner. I would argue that, that’s not the case. Most gyms have different instructors. Our gym has 7 different instructors. That’s enough variety of teaching style, BJJ style and approach to the class.

[@randyazar]

Mousashee

[@JungleScene]

Is rory allowed to train at Toshido because of a relationship between gyms? rory said hes training at both now i think?