JJ Pugsley's Blog
Fighter Spotlight: Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz is an American Mixed Martial Artist and fights in the bantamweight division. He participates in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, was the final bantamweight titleholder of World Extreme Cagefighting, and is a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Cruz is...
Under Pressure: Coaching Students in the Heat of the Moment
The number of reasons why I began dedicating so much of my time to coaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is endless. The art is so multifaceted: your mind and body are both so fully engaged, and observing students refine these skills and push themselves in the right direction is a highly rewarding process.
Tips for Older Jiu Jitsu Practitioners
Training as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner at an older age comes with a unique set of challenges. However, these challenges can be mediated through the following tips, which will help you continue to improve at Jiu Jitsu even when you are no longer in your 20s....
Jiu-Jitsu and Suffering
Jiu-Jitsu is the way of the warrior, and every warrior must endure a path of suffering. To be clear, suffering is not a burden, but more a blessing. As a general rule, many view hardship, pain, and failure as negative stressors on their lives. When you learn to view...
Injury & Recovery As An Athlete
Athletes make up a group of elite people in the world, who are often in the best physical shape of their lives. From MMA fighters to soccer players, the skill and perseverance needed to compete is bountiful. This said, a major pitfall of athleticism is prone to...
Being a Professional Athlete: Dedication is an Understatement
Across the globe, individuals have made a vow to compete at the highest level of their preferred sport. For some, it was a natural fit to choose this path. On the other hand, quite a few professional athletes had to work diligently to achieve the goal. From amateurs to the major leagues, being a professional in any capacity takes much more than dedication.
Nutritional Guide for BJJ Practitioners
As you’ve learned from past blogs, quite a few aspects of everyday life play major roles when training in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Sleep patterns and supplemental training on off-days are some of the main ones. For those outside of the BJJ world, nutrition and...
The Mental Health Benefits of Practicing BJJ
The benefits of partaking in a mixed martial arts are endless. In one of my first blogs, I mentioned how Brazilian Jiu Jitsu impacts the way a practitioner thinks. Not only does our BJJ training impact our thought process, it also positively manipulates our mental health. While our physical well-being is always improved through sports, it is easy to forget how much our mental capacity is put to work as well.
BJJ Belt Ranking Breakdown: Part 4
If you’ve been following this blog series, you likely have a decent understanding of how tedious it can be to work one’s way up the BJJ ranking system. The hours of training, maintaining health, and mental capacity it all takes can be overwhelming for many. If you’ve ever had the chance to meet a black belt, they will probably tell you receiving said belt was one of the greatest accomplishments of their life. Through dedication and persistence many achieve the goal of obtaining a black belt.
BJJ Belt Ranking Breakdown: Part 3
The belt ranking system in BJJ varies in many aspect from other well-known mixed martial arts. As you advance in BJJ, you are expected to adapt your mindset as well as your technique. Once you pass your purple belt, some of the real challenges begin and expectations are set high. The brown belt comes next and is one of the final steps in rounding out your BJJ accomplishments. Here are some things to expect when you advance to a brown belt.