Braulio Estima? personable, charismatic, current adcc world champion, great teacher.
Bruce brought him to Evansville Jan 30th 2010 for a seminar, another great seminar with one of the greats of Brazilain Jiu Jitsu.
I have read that he has of of the greatest closed guard games around. As it turns out, that was indeed the focus of the seminar. Braulio started with some small tactics, things you normally do not call techniques, but elements that can be quickly shown, practiced and integrated into your game, things that can dramatically improve your game. Timing, position, leverage, control. Things to help hold your opponent down, to break down posture, maintain guard. Braulio made sure we understood conceptually the whys of what he had us drill, giving succinct explanations of the foundation of each element. He then built upon each element until we reached a position I will call an attack platform, where from this position, (you know, lapel pulled up under arm,around back of neck...well, come one in and it will be easier to show you!) Braulio demonstrated several submissions, having us rep each one for several minutes.
At one point, he stopped us to point out the video playing. (Bruce has video playing on the lcd panels in the room showing clips from Braulios fights). Braulio had us watch how he was controlling the opponent's posture, that he was using the same technique we were currently training. For Baulio, these techniques we were working on were "Gold". Enough said, point driven home.At the end of the seminar, Braulio had us do effective rolling drill where he had students place themselves in the exact position we had used as a branching point for many of the techniques. Then had the student's opponent work to try and use the various attacks he showed us from that position. It was a good drill because it allowed the student to practice switching from one attack to the other, and gauge how it fits into their game, and also how much more it might need to be practiced to be effective. With three groups, one was always able to watch as others worked. Not only did we get to see Braulio roll, but many of us got to roll with him in this drill. He definitely favors picking opponents up, twisting them with his feet and dropping them directly into armbar!
The minutes after the seminar gave a view of his relaxed, playful personality. Most of the photos being taken had him goofing for the cameras, putting an exaggerated choke on the person next to him. Braulio ended by encouraging the group with some inspirational antecdotes from his past (he didn't train with a black belt until he was a brown belt, and at the start, only once a month because of living in a small town where there were none). Gettng an insight into the minds of these BJJ greats is always as meaningful, if not more, as the actual techniques shown. It is what makes them great.
Rest assured, the following weeks will find us here at the Razzano Academy working on what we learned at Braulio's seminar. I mean, what do you think we pay Dax for, if it isn't to take good notes at these seminars, and then to bring it all back and make it a part of our game?
