If you sprained your thumb while grappling and have pain and instability, then this taping technique is extremely useful and helpful with assisting with pain, stability, and to keep you on the mats.

Post op Phase 3 – Normalize gait
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Post op arthroscopic surgery day 5 – with my weight bearing restrictions removed I can work on trying to walk normal.
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This will be the most challenging part of my rehab due to my primary complaint pre-op, which was mechanical catching with walking. My knee would catch just prior to full knee extension. This caused me to have an asymmetrical step pattern and reduced toe off. My limping would get significantly worse after exercise, specifically jiu jitsu. This developed a habitual limp. Now that the loose body is removed I have to work on voluntary control of proper heel strike and toe off. .
Hopefully when I’m cleared for jiu jitsu I won’t have to hobble out of the gym anymore.

I received a question on youtube regarding wrist and forearm pain with lifting a heavy bar bell and also when holding grips when grappling in the gi.
These exercises and stretches should help keep your arms and hands loose, your tissue stretched out, and help to decrease pain.

Phase 2 – Regaining motion
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After an injury having reduced range of motion is a common complaint. It is important to determine the limiting factor whether it be: tissue length, myofascial restrictions, instability, joint hypomobility or swelling. .
In my case I’m post-op day 2 following a scope so my reduced range is because of inflammation in the joint. One of my favorite ways to improve knee flexion range of motion is eccentric isometric. .
Slowly descending to my pain-free bottom squat position and holding. This allows me to improve proprioception in the joint, regain strength and stability at the end of my current available range.
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When working with patients with knee dysfunction one of my discharge goals is for them to be able to squat with their femur below horizontal so I am ahead of schedule! I still have some work to do as a jiu jitsu athlete I need to be able to sit on my heels with my full body weight.

Rehabilitation: Post-surgical Phase 1
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Post-op Day 1: this was a fairly simple arthroscopic surgery to remove a large loose body. While there was evidence of significant osteoarthritis in my patellofemoral joint my complaint was mechanical catching from this piece of cartilage floating around in my knee.
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Phase I of rehab: PRICE or POLICE?
Most people have heard the acronym PRICE, however I prefer one coined by @liftersclinic, P.OL.I.C.E: Protect. Optimal Loading, Icing. Compression. Elevation.
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Optimal loading vs. rest: Yes you want to avoid excessive loading but you do want to load, what does that mean? Right now that means active gentle pain-free motion to restore range of motion. Stationary bikes are a great option as it is partial weight bearing to minimize stress but also allows you to move the joint.
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Quad atrophy: Atrophy of the quadriceps muscle group is very common post-surgery. Arthogenic muscle inhibition is subconscious feedback inhibition to the muscle to reduce pressure on the joint. Even with simple surgeries the muscle can atrophy extremely fast. Quad sets are a great way to restore muscle activation. Once you can do a proper quad set and lift the leg without any lag, also known as “extensor lag” , you can progress to focusing on the single leg raise for quadriceps strengthening. In the video I use my unaffected leg to demonstrate what it should look like.
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Managing swelling: In my professional opinion compression is the best method of reducing excessive swelling. While there is some controversy about ice vs. heat when there are acute injuries, or in my case post surgical, icing is a good method of decreasing pain and swelling.
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Next phase is restoring range of motion and strength. The final phase is return to sport.

In this video Sebastian leads you through a simple hip stretching yoga sequence, similar to the kind you can find on the website.

Normally Sebastian demonstrates the video himself, but today averagely flexible Miha Perhavec assumes that role. Please find some space to do the video and report back with results.

Check out https://www.yogaforbjj.net for more!
New videos every week for grapplers that want to optimize the body for BJJ and life!
Train smart – Fight Forever

Bridging: a fundamental movement in jiu jitsu
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In jiu jitsu and ground fighting you must understand how to bridge properly to escape inferior positions. There are several intentions of bridging in jiu jitsu:
1️⃣unbalance: when your opponent is in a dominant postition they are free to attack with submissions or strikes. By unbalancing them they must regain their balance before they are able to attack again.
2️⃣create space: when escaping inferior positions you need to create space so that you can move your body away.
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To accomplish both of these tasks you need a powerful bridge but also must be stable so that you can remain in an good position to transition.
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The single leg bridge is an excellent exercise and drill to address this. By performing this exercise on 1-leg you increase the gluteus medius activation. This muscle is essential for developing stability and hip balance strategies. To make your bridge as powerful as possible make sure you are using your gluteus maximus. This is your primary hip extensor muscle, instead of relying on your hamstring muscle group. While the hamstrings will activate they are primarily a knee flexor and act as a secondary hip extensor. Prior to initiation make sure your heel is closer to your butt and pre-contract your glutes.
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This exercise is identical to the movement you will perform thousands of times in your jiu jitsu lifetime.

The best exercise for grapplers
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The Turkish get up is one of my favorite exercises, especially for a grappler. This exercise has been described as “loaded yoga” because you have to move up and down while loaded with resistance.
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1️⃣Returning to the feet: This exercise is especially important for grapplers because it teaches them how to get up when someone is trying to hold them down. While the resistance point is not exactly the same there is a very similar principle.
2️⃣Assessment: This exercise is a great assessment tool because it is a whole body exercise you can find weak points or movements that need further attention.
3️⃣Shoulder stability: By maintaining a load overhead at various angles it is great for developing shoulder stability and strength.

Training the boxer’s muscle
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The serratus anterior, often called the “boxer’s muscle”, is a muscle used for punching. This muscle allows for scapular protraction which means the shoulder blade can shift forward on the ribs. This is important for punching because it gives you more reach so you can punch from further away. .
Here is an exercise that helps activate and train this muscle.
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Wall slides: maintain neutral spine as you reach up and slowly pull back down. Start with a towel then progress to a foam roller. To make it even more challenging add a theraband to your forearms while maintaining parallel. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15.
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The intention of this drill is to first make sure you have the muscular control and can activate the muscle properly. Second you have to have the muscular endurance to repetively activate it over a course of sparring or a fight. .
Make sure to practice punching with full thoracic rotation and fully protracting your shoulder blade after the drill. .
The only thing cooler than punching someone in the face is punching them when they can’t hit you back.

Kimura proof your shoulders: Part 2
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As I mentioned in my last post the most common complaint I hear on the mat is shoulder stiffness. Overhead movement is dependent on having adequate mobility for the 4 joints in the shoulder complex + thoracic spine.
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Here is one joint mobilization I use to improve overhead motion. This technique is used to distract the glenohumeral joint from the glenoid fossa as well as stretching the lat muscle. I prefer to use a mobility band so there is some stretch. Note: I try to relax my hand and arm as much as possible and just loop my hand through to get a sufficient enough distraction force. Use a gentle pull and stop when you feel the shoulder open up. Stop if there is pain and if you feel pain after you pulled too much.
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After you improve your shoulder range of motion make sure to perform end-range isometric contractions and full active overhead motion to teach your body how to use the new available range.
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I would not use this mobilization for any of my patients who have shoulder instability, “looseness” or history of shoulder dislocations.

Maximizing Rotation for improving punching
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Two components that are key for effective striking is thoracic and scapular mobility. When someone lacks the mobility or motor control to use all of their range it limits their offensive and defensive capabilities. Generally I want to be as far way as possible while still able hit my opponent. The power from striking comes from the legs and hips where the spine and arm are a vehicle for delivering the power. My upper body is loose and mobile.
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Here are two easy drills to improve your thoracic rotation and scapular protraction.
1) Open book: lock your pelvis down and rotate at the upper body. Hold the end-range for 2 seconds. Perform 10-20 on each side.
2) Windmill: reach your shoulder blade forward and keep your hand in contact with the floor as you reach overhead. Perform 10 on each side.
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#kickboxing #dutchkickboxing #dynamixstrikingsystem #physicaltherapy #mma #dynamixmma

Low back pain is something most, if not all, BJJ practitioners currently deal with or have dealt with. Back pain can limit your movement, technique, and effectiveness on the mats.
This video gives you a number of stretches and other techniques that will help you maintain your flexibility, control tightness, and reduce pain.

Scientifically escaping the heel hook Part 2: reverse heel hook
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This is one of the most damaging submissions that you can perform yet many practitioners have a poor defense and or do not understand what to do and why.
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For the inside heel hook or reverse heel hook the attacker needs the same thing as with a standard heel hook:
1) Clamp the thigh to isolate movement at the knee.
2) Externally rotate the heel at the knee.
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Defense: In my last video where I explain defense for the standard heel hook I emphasize rolling to alleviate the pressure and clearing the knee line. Clearing the knee line is still the goal but rolling from this side will not work. I can roll to alleviate minuscule amounts of pressure but once I roll to my side with my opponent on top of me I will be stuck and victim to the attack.
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From this variation on the heel hook I need to escape differently.
1) Fight the initial grip. I need to start fighting the grip immediately while using my heel in his anticubital region to temporarily stop my opponent from rotating
2) Once my heel is free I want to turn my leg away to hide my heel and then put all my weight into my heel. This will buy me some time as my opponent will be unable to finish the submission without unbalancing me first.
3) Next I need to clear my knee line. I use my arms to undo the triangle vice grip. From there I can use my foot as leverage to pry my leg free.
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As I said in my last post: heel hooks are a poorly understood submission and many people are ignorant of defenses. Often novices will rely on flopping side to side in hopes to escape and may even roll into the force of the submission thus damaging their own knee. By understanding how the attack works you can deconstruct your defense so that you are no longer in danger by this attack.
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#bjj #jiujitsu #mma #sambo #bjjlifestyle #leglock #leglocker #heelhook #dynamixmma #mmaleech

Scientifically escaping the heel hook
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The heel hook is a dangerous submission that is poorly understood by many in the grappling community. This variation of the heel hook functions by clamping down on the thigh and internally rotating the shin to damage the ligaments in the knee. So how do we escape this position?
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Lets breakdown what the attacker needs to be successful.
1) The attacker needs to clamp down on the thigh to isolate movement to the knee. If the attacker has a weak clamp then when they apply the finish they will be bleeding energy as the hip will internally rotate as well.
2) The attacker needs to internally rotate the shin by connecting to the heel.
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As the defender to stay safe you need to take away those key points.
1) As a defender you can roll with force of the submission so that the knee ligaments are not stressed. The problem is if you continue to roll without escaping the clamp you will eventually run out of room. I see many leg lock novices attempt to escape this way.
2) if the attacker is using a reap you must clear the reap or else your roll will be limited. A properly applied knee reap minimizes a defender’s roll to alleviate the force of the leg lock.
3) As a defender you need to clear the knee line. Once your knee clears their clamp then minimal stress will be applied to those knee ligaments.
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This is my first reaction to escape a heel hook as I go belly down my knee is able to find the hole to escape.
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Important note: This defense only works with a standard heel hook where they are internally rotating the shin. For an inverted heel hook if you roll this way you will be applying stress to your own knee.
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Heel hooks are a safe submission to train with as long as you have good controlled training partners who do not let egos interfere with learning the art.
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#bjj #jiujitsu #mma #sambo #leglock #leglocker #heelhook #submission #prehab #kinesiology #dynamixmma #mmaleech #hiddenjiujitsu