Okay, so I’ve been diving deep into the world of jiu-jitsu lately, and you can’t really do that without bumping into Gordon Ryan and, by extension, Patrick Gaudio. These guys are like, the kings of the no-gi scene, right? So, I decided to really try to understand their game, and it all started with a simple curiosity.
First, I just watched a ton of their matches. I mean, hours of footage. YouTube became my best friend. I paused, rewinded, and replayed key moments over and over. It was like trying to decipher some secret code.
Watching the match video.
- At first, all the action seemed to go by too quickly, and I felt like I didn’t know what to do.
- Then, I just noticed how they move, their basic positioning. Gaudio, for example, is super flexible, very comfortable playing guard. Gordon, well, he’s just a pressure machine. I focused on how they used their legs, how they controlled distance.
Next, I tried to replicate some of the basic movements in my own training. No fancy stuff, just the fundamentals. Like, how does Gordon maintain that relentless top pressure? I drilled passing sequences with my training partners, focusing on keeping my weight heavy, my hips low. It was exhausting! I got smashed a lot, honestly.
Then I focused specifically on some of Gaudio’s guard techniques. His leg lasso game is insane. So, I started experimenting with that, trying to get the feel for the grips, the angles. My legs felt like noodles at first. I kept getting swept, tapped out, the whole nine yards.
Practicing in the gym.
- I spent weeks just working on these little details.
- It wasn’t pretty.
- It was a grind.
- I asked my coach for help, and he gave me some pointers.
- Slowly but surely, I started to feel a little bit more comfortable.
Finally, and this is key, I started to see how these little things connected. Gordon’s pressure passing wasn’t just about being strong; it was about controlling the hips, shutting down the guard player’s options. Gaudio’s guard wasn’t just about being flexible; it was about creating angles, off-balancing his opponent. It all started to click, little by little.
It’s a long journey, and I’m still a beginner compared to these guys, obviously. But by watching, drilling, and experimenting, I’m starting to understand their games on a deeper level. And, more importantly, I’m improving my own jiu-jitsu in the process.
