Black-belt knowledge

Small Circle Jujitsu and cross training

By Brian Plunkett

One of the reasons why I love Small Circle Jujitsu is that it gives me motivation and great reason to cross train. Cross training involves doing other activities or exercises with the goal of helping you train for your primary pursuit, such as Small Circle Jujitsu.

I usually try to train as rigorously as possible in jujitsu class to get the most out of my limited time in class. But I never get enough time in class.

Black-belt Brian Plunkett

Over the years, I have had to come up with other ways to try to stay in good-enough shape to be as effective as possible in Small Circle Jujitsu and to give myself the best chance at self-defense.

I am motivated to do other things — to cross train — because I know that this will help improve my Small Circle Jujitsu. And knowing that every little bit helps makes these other activities much more fun and meaningful.

So what else do I do?

First, I try to walk as much as possible. I work in Boston near South Station but arrive in the city by train at North Station. Instead of taking the subway to my office, I walk the mile or so.

I also try to take the stairs whenever possible to work on my legs. There are lots of everyday situations like this that can help you become more fit — which will help your jujitsu training.

Occasionally (once a week?), I can get to the gym during the workday, where I usually do a warm-up run for two miles or so and then hit the weights. To help my Small Circle Jujitsu, I do routines to help strengthen muscles that I always seem to need in class.

Specifically, I'll do the reclining bench press and standing military press because those exercises build the muscles that help you escape from being held down in a cross–body position. I'll also lie on the floor and use the tricep pull machine (using the rowing–handle attachment) to simulate choking someone who may have ended up in my guard position. Although technique is important to accurately choke someone, having a little extra brawn in your proper application helps.

I also use the cable pull–down machine to strengthen my upper back, bicep and tricep muscles to help improve my stand–up throwing and grappling moves.

Dave Schmeer helps Brian demonstrate

Between every weight training exercise, I do sit–ups on the declined sit–up bench. I prop the bench up on the edge of another bench to make the sit–ups as vertical as possible. Vertical sit–ups are a great core–building exercise.

Finally, I use the squat hack machine to work on my quad and calf muscles while keeping my feet in the same position for final execution of a hip throw. Weight training is a lot more satisfying when you feel like you are doing it for a specific purpose like Small Circle Jujitsu.

One reason I can't train in class as much as I would like is that I coach youth soccer in fall and spring. But when I coach, I don't just throw a few balls out onto the field and yell at my players from the sideline. I lead my practice sessions like I lead a Small Circle Jujitsu class.

I participate in all the running and other drills. I lead the team in stretching exercises and calisthenics very similar to our Small Circle Jujitsu warm–up. I teach the team to "explode" to the ball in ways that look very similar to our closing and startle drills. I teach the team to read the motion of the other players so that they can react more quickly.

Even while playing other sports, I can find ways to cross train for Small Circle Jujitsu.

That brings me to my last point. The best traditional sport that I have found for cross training for Small Circle Jujitsu (other than wrestling) is half–court basketball.

"The best traditional sport that I have found for cross training for Small Circle Jujitsu (other than wrestling) is half–court basketball."

Playing one–on–one or two–on–two half–court basketball involves a lot of the principles we focus on in Small Circle Jujitsu. Guarding your man in basketball teaches you to read motion and not be fooled by the deceptive moves of your opponent. Constantly moving your feet on defense and keeping your hips open to your opponent is great practice for our self–defense training.

While on offense, explosive moves to the basket while exploiting the foot and body position of your defending opponent really help with our closing and shutdown moves in Small Circle Jujitsu.

Also, no other sport seems to simulate quite as well the stop and start nature of self–defense and grappling. Needless to say, half–court basketball, with its constant action and variety of body movements, is great for building your wind. As we know, our ability to defend ourselves tends to decrease as we get tired and winded.

Even if you can't get to class as often as you might like, Small Circle Jujitsu helps give greater meaning to the other activities in your life. Try to take and make every opportunity for exercise a form of cross training for Small Circle Jujitsu.

See you in class.