I love doing Combat Sports. As somebody who grew up with a lotta health problems, Combat Sports are the best way to embody the Ideal of the Pulp Fiction Hero! 

For 1 ½ years, I did Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and currently, at the long-standing influence and behest of my good friend James Lafond, am working on Boxing. 

From bitter first hand experience, I can tell you that the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA world has more than its fair share of charlatans, secret hoarding, and power play posturing that puts the best Predatory Third World Arab Warlord to shame.

But that is a tale for another time.

Maybe you have some of your experiences along this line, or are experiencing similar things right now. 

To cut through the BS, here are the big picture fundamentals that I’ve learned from my on-going journey into Combat Sports!

I’ve learned them the hard way, and it is my greatest hope that my pain is your gain…take what you’ve learned here to survive on the mats and live to dominate another day! 

THE GOAL AND THE GUARD 

• In all Grappling (BJJ, Wrestling, whatever), you are trying to control the Hips and then the Shoulders. That is the goal. 

• In Striking (Boxing), you are trying to target the head and the vital organs of the torso. That’s the goal. 

• If you add in Muay Thai, they’re trying to target the sides of the knee and thigh to get the bad guy’s base tired. That’s it. 

• “Guard” in Grappling (BJJ) is when you are trying to prevent the bad guy from getting up to control your Hips by wrapping your legs around the bad guy. 

• “Guard” in Striking (Boxing) is trying to prevent the bad guy from hitting your head and torso by protecting them with bent arms in front of the head and torso. 

• “Guard” in Grappling (Wrestling) is trying to prevent the bad guy from shooting at your legs to remove your base in a takedown by pushing them away with your hands and keeping your legs and hips back. 

• “Guard” in both Boxing and Wrestling is Dynamic. “Guard” in BJJ is primarily Static. 

FOOTWORK: HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL

• Bridging and Shrimping is the Footwork of BJJ…it’s Hip Dominant in the Horizontal Plane while Footwork is Foot Dominant (you’d never guess!) in the Vertical Plane. 

• Now nobody in Boxing (or in Wrestling for that matter) is laying on top of your feet while you are trying to do Footwork in the Vertical Plane. 

• But the trouble in BJJ is, somebody is lying on top of your hips in the Mount position, which is your main joint responsible for locomotion of bridging and shrimping…your “footwork” in the horizontal plane!

• Therefore, you have got to use your arms to push your opponent off of your hips. Bench Pressing, whether on a floor or a bench, is the most decried exercises in sports today. Especially in BJJ. But this forward pushing motion is the most pivotal if you don’t want to have a 300 lbs pro fighter laying on top of you the entire time you spar!

• The same is true of BJJ in the Side Control position. Your opponent, he’s gotten control of your hips, and has moved on to the strategically more valuable shoulders. At this point, you are pushing with your forearms on his neck to get him to let go of your shoulders. Again, Forward Pushing. 

• So the big thing that you are told never to do and is useless…Bench Pressing…is really your last best friend that allows you to do the horizontal plane “footwork” of bridging and shrimping to escape the 300 lbs pro fighter laying on top of you!

DREAMS TO REALITY! 

Well, there you have it! 

The 13 Combat Sports Survival Secrets Revealed!

Couple it with the Pulp Fiction Doctrine of Strength and Health, you will be on your way to making your dreams of Pulp Fiction Heroics a reality!

And who knows? 

Along the way, you might just show the charlatans, secret hoarders, and power players a thing or two while you’re at it! 

Pulp Fiction Power to you, my friends!  

Sincerely,

Richard Barrett

03-12-2023 

8:49 PM