Understanding bands and how they improve mobility
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The use of bands to improve mobility has become more popular over the last few years. While they can be a useful tool they are often misused.
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What is happening: using a band for mobility is essential a joint mobilization to temporarily improve aberrant joint mechanics. .
Mobility deficits are primarily due to:
1️⃣Tissue restrictions
2️⃣Neurological restrictions
3️⃣Insufficient neurological control
4️⃣Aberrant joint mechanics
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When to use: If the primary reason for insufficient range or pain is due to joint hypomobility or aberrant joint mechanics then bands can be useful.
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How to maximize: the band mobilization may allow TEMPORARY mobility improvements or decrease pain, however you need to train that new range for PERMANENT improvements. If you previously could not go into that range then your body will lack the control of that new range. Controlled articular rotations / passive range holds are excellent tools to improve active control of the new range.
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❌Improper use of band mobility: improving overhead motion and immediately using it to load overhead motion. If you cannot control that new range then when you load it then you prime yourself for compensatory movement or injury. ✅Proper use: temporarily improving end-range joint mechanics so you can properly train your end-range. .
It is a problem if you are relying on bands to perform an exercise. See a healthcare professional to see if the joint is the primarily problem and how you can permanently improve it.
MCL Ligament insufficiency •••••••••••••••••••••• MMA fighter complaining of knee
MCL Ligament insufficiency
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MMA fighter complaining of knee pain 1 week after his last fight. He noted he took a leg kick early in the fight that caused more pain then normal. Despite the knee pain he went on to dominate the fight.
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This was the most significant finding in my exam: ligament integrity testing.
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Valgus stress test: This is a test for the integrity of the MCL ligament. The MCL is responsible for 78% of the valgus restraint when the knee is flexed to 20 degrees. Meaning if the MCL is compromised there will be more movement in the frontal plane. Comparison to the other leg shows the difference in frontal plane stability.
Jiu jitsu practitioners typically endure a lot of neck abuse due to the multitude
Jiu jitsu practitioners typically endure a lot of neck abuse due to the multitude of strangles, chokes and cranks. Stress to the vertebral segments and facet joints often lead to stiffness, reduced movement and pain.
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If one is to perform activities like jiu jitsu it would be a good idea to perform exercises to help reduce the accumulation of stress and maintain joint health.
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Controlled articular rotations (CARs) are an excellent exercise to maintain/improve cervical mobility and help mitigate future injury.
1️⃣The movement should be your maximum pain-free motion. If there is pain move around the painful range.
2️⃣By finding a painful range you will have discovered a “weak point”, an area that needs more attention. Positional isometrics near that range help to build resiliency in the area. If pain persists see a healthcare professional to address.
3️⃣By adjusting body position (sitting, supine, prone) you challenge the neck musculature in different ways. .
“You will always regret not training the position that you got injured in.” – Andreo Spina
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@drandreospina @functionalrangeconditioning @functionalrangerelease @mmaleech @dynamixmma
Spider Guard Solo Flow Drill With Belt
Easy solo BJJ warm-up exercises to get the legs and hips moving using a belt. Use the tension from the belt and feet to move the kips in multiple planes. Feel for restrictions and tightness and gently move into the areas where you feel tight. Spend as much time as you feel is necessary with this technique.
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Biomechanics of Stacking ••••••••••••••••• In Jiu jitsu the stack is a powerful t
Biomechanics of Stacking
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In Jiu jitsu the stack is a powerful tool to pass or escape submissions, when used correctly.
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Correct stack positioning: the goal is to keep your weight in line with the opponent’s head, this ensures pure sagittal plane motion. When performed correctly it unlocks a fully locked in triangle, no matter how flexible their spine. .
Kinesiology of the correct stack: In an ideal spine there is a maximum of 80 degrees of cervical flexion + 45 degrees of thoracic flexion, however that is for 7 cervical segments and 12 thoracic segments. This means that each segment only has several degrees of motion, therefore you do not need too much motion to excessively load the specific spinal segment. When the specific segment reaches end range their body will activate a protective mechanism and stop the leg squeeze. Their body will not allow them to continue to squeeze and ensure that they deal with the threat of spine injury. This results in opening the legs to deload the spine.
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Even with the arms in a position that appear vulnerable to attack they will have no strength to apply an arm lock.
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Important detail I picked up from Coach @antoni_hardonk , by keeping both arms near the head it will prevent them from angling away to deload the spine in other ways.
Neurological tightness vs Mechanical tension: •••••••••••••••••••• One of the mos
Neurological tightness vs Mechanical tension:
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One of the most valuable lessons I learned from @drmchivers and the @functionalrangerelease manual system was how to differentiate neurological tightness and mechanical tension.
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My patient initially complained of intense cervical pain, tightness, locking / catching and restricted movement (specifically extension and rotation). Through assessment I found his symptoms were primarily due to neurological tightness. Likely this was due to global hypermobility (6/9 on the Beighton score).
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He developed a fear of movement due to his symptoms, which caused him to stop many physical activities. When he saw other healthcare professionals they attempted to massage out the tightness, which ultimately failed to address the problem. .
After FR treatments to address neurological tension: PAILs level 1 & 2, controlled articular rotations and cervical hinge training he now has a reduced fear of neck movement, resumed activities he had not performed in years and most importantly now has tools to help himself. .
Future sessions to expand his ACTIVE motion so he can control his body.
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@drandreospina @functionalrangeconditioning
I’m 55 years old with a torn ACL…is BJJ something I can do for self-defense?
In this video I answer a question from Rob, a 55 year-old surfer who tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) when he was 17, and never got it repaired. He wanted to learn self-defense and wanted to know if he would be able to do BJJ at his age and with his injury.
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Core stability for back pain ••••••••••••••••• Here are examples of core stabilit
Core stability for back pain
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Here are examples of core stability exercises that I use for patients who present with low back pain.
1️⃣Bird dog
2️⃣Side plank
3️⃣McGill Curl up
4️⃣RKC plank. I often will replace the curl up for the plank as I find it is easier for patients to perform without cueing / compensatory spinal movements.
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Generally these are performed for 10 seconds with 4-6 repetitions on each side. Once you can perform 8-9 sets without compensations I would progress to more advanced exercises. Generally the advanced exercises include upper and/or lower limb movement while remaining stable. Athletically you are never in a perfect spine position, but if you cannot maintain an isolated spinal position how can you expect to maintain a braced spine in a dynamic movement?
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Unfortunately on social media people will post exercises without an explanation of WHY they are chosen. Why do I use these exercises?
1️⃣Patients with lumbopelvic deficits respond well to volitional core stabilization.
2️⃣Core musculature are designed to resist movement, therefore should be INITIALLY trained isometrically.
3️⃣Combined these 3 exercises hit anterior, lateral and posterior core musculture.
4️⃣Dr. Stu McGill, @backfitpro , expert of spinal biomechanics, studied a variety of core stability exercises. The McGILL big 3 exercises provided maximum core muscle activation with minimal spinal shear forces. The sit-up is an example of having high rectus abdominis activation but moderate lumbar shear, therefore may not be the best exercise for a patient with back pain.
5️⃣Easy to do at home and does not require equipment.
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Since I have back pain, should I do these exercises? MAYBE. Not all patients with low back pain will benefit from these exercises. These are examples of exercises that I would use if a patient presented with lumbopelvic stability deficits and what I believed was the cause for their symptoms. I do not give ALL patients with low back pain these exercises. I would encourage you to see a healthcare provider to give you a better understanding of your symptoms.
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Reference:
McGill, S. M. (2015). Low Back Disorders, 3E. Human Kinetics.
Biomechanics of inverting for jiu jitsu ••••••••••••••••••• The concept of invert
Biomechanics of inverting for jiu jitsu
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The concept of inverting often used in sport jiu jitsu as a way to preserve guard, sweep and/or attack an opponent’s leg. While it is a useful movement for competitors is it safe?
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1️⃣Mobility requirements: The key to reducing injury is having sufficient spinal mobility. The goal is to roll over the shoulders which requires thoracic and cervical flexion. The neck needs to bend enough so there is minimal contact. .
2️⃣Injury risk: Insufficient spine mobility, either neck or upper body will cause unnecessary stress on the cervical spine. Too much time spent in the inverted position leads to an increased likelihood of injury. If you are going to invert quickly transition to the next position.
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Basic drill: Granby roll. This is an old school wrestling drill. Focus on rolling over the shoulder blades.
Intermediate drill: Sit-up guard. Control one leg and invert/roll to the other leg as demonstrated by one of my professors Gustavo Gasperin @mmaleech. .
Do you need to invert for competition? Absolutely not, but the ability to invert opens up sweeps, position maintenance and leg attacks. As a healthcare professional I may recommend avoiding this position with a pre-existing neck injury.
Use this tool to help with BJJ recovery and relieve painful muscles
Trigger points, knots, and painful muscles are an annoying and consistent part of BJJ. Using the theracane has helped me substantially to not only reduce painful trigger points in my muscles, but help with muscle recovery, decrease tension, and improve motion in the joints that are effected by the muscles.
Theracane link: https://www.amazon.com/Thera-Cane-No-Model-Massager/dp/B00NH0XG7E/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1519076700&sr=1-2&keywords=theracane&th=1
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How to be Injured Less Often in BJJ
How to have less injuries in BJJ class, and how to recover better between training sessions. I think this is really important stuff!
If you’re interested in this topic then also check out:
A Basic Weightlifting Workout for BJJ and Martial Arts
Can You Train BJJ with a Bad Neck?
Steps for Coming Back from an Injury
Rib Injuries in BJJ and Grappling
How and Why to Tape Your Fingers in BJJ
How to Train BJJ with an Injured Arm
Taping For AC (Shoulder) Joint Pain
The AC Joint of the shoulder, better known as the Acromio-clavicular joint is where the bones of the acromion of the scapula (shoulder blade) and the Clavicle (collar bone) meet. This joint helps with movement of the shoulder and can be injured by landing on your shoulder or even if you run into a knee or hip with the top of the shoulder. This joint can get irritated and painful which will restrict shoulder function. Try this technique using Kinesiotape to reduce tension and assist with pain relief to the area.
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Balance and striking •••••••••••••••••••••• When you are balanced you can move fo
Balance and striking ••••••••••••••••••••••
When you are balanced you can move forward, backward, be aggressive or be defensive. When your center of mass moves outside of your base of support you are unbalanced. The next response has to be one that allows you to regain your balance or you will fall down. If you are unbalanced you cannot move or counterattack effectively.
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Regarding striking often people will say you have to move your head, however head movement should not come at the expense of your base. If head movement is used to evade a strike but you are now unbalanced you have no effective counter to the second strike.
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An example of this was Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero @ufc 221. Rockhold demonstrated this technical defensive mistake which cost him the fight. Rockhold kept his lead hand low so he had to rely on distance and head movement to avoid strikes. Yoel Romero rushed forward with a flurry. Rockhold’s first response was to lean away, which made him unbalanced. At this point he lost the ability to use intelligent footwork to angle away from the follow up strike. He had to stumble backwards to try to avoid the barrage of strikes. When he was too unbalanced and close to the cage his feet no longer could move effectively. His last resort was to lean his head away. Romero showed he was too fast and long and still managed to find his mark.
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Don’t make this mistake: keep your feet underneath you, maintain balance and you will not limit your future defensive options.
Kinesiology of the upa •••••••••••••••••••••• The upa or the bridging mount escap
Kinesiology of the upa
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The upa or the bridging mount escape is a crucial jiu jitsu movement that often gets ignored. Being mounted against a skilled opponent can be terrifying, especially when strikes are involved. When in bad positions often people will resort to ineffective / energy inefficient movements to attempt to escape. The intention for all jiu jitsu techniques is minimal effort for maximum effect. .
The goal of the upa is to explosively thrust your hips up to unbalance your opponent. The movement needs to be powerful enough to unbalance them while also taking steps to prevent them from rebalancing (posting with foot or arm). Nothing is more demoralizing than repetitively attempting inadequate escapes.
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Key points for the upa
1️⃣Ankle and hip range of motion: by plantarflexing the ankle and extending the hips you can ensure the opponent moves enough to be off balanced. Less movement = less unbalancing.
2️⃣Keep your opponent directly under your hips for maximum hip thrust explosive force. If they move their knees to a high mount the hip thrust will have considerable less effect.
3️⃣Tilt the head for the proper angle. When people explode to the side the force becomes significantly weaker.
4️⃣Trap the foot / arm: This prevents the opponent from either stepping or posting to avoid losing position.
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When the upa is performed correctly it should be effortless. Once the movement is mastered additional elements, such as strikes can be added.
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@jamesdriskill @bretcontreras1 @ricksongraciejj