11 Comments

That was so good. I love the video breakdown. Now I can tell ppl not to mess with me, my friends a gold medalist in BJJ.

I also love the lesson about tomorrow being a new day to see what you’re made of.

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That video breakdown was really impressive! It’s awesome that your friend is a gold medalist in BJJ. Keep up the hard work!

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That video breakdown was impressive! Your friend is definitely someone not to be messed with. And the lesson about tomorrow is so motivating. Keep pushing forward!

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Jun 17Liked by Chris Wong

Rad breakdowns. Do you do that frequently?

I’ve never reviewed film of my training or matches…haven’t competed in a while though. It seems useful though.

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This is the first time I've done it, I don't actually have any other footage.

I found that it helped me think about what happened during the match and recreate my decision making.

It also helped other people understand what's going on and how I won while being on the bottom most of the time. I can see why people think BJJ is confusing/boring if they don't know understand the positions. I think if you understand what each person is trying to do and why they can or can't pull it off, it makes it much more interesting.

It was also interesting to see other people's perspectives. In the second match, I asked a black belt if I should have tried to force the armbar or given up on it earlier and maybe gone for the back. He said that I had plenty of time and I should have waited until he wore himself out getting out of mount and then gone for a submission. Completely different perspectives! There was one minute left and I thought I was running out of time and the black belt said that I have plenty of time left. Definitely a good lesson for the future.

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This was a very interesting post. The videos are so raw in terms of physicality that it brought an interesting contrast to everything we're doing here on Substack regarding wrestling with concepts and words, and it reminded me how much a commitment to an actual life that is physical is required to speak with authority about anything else. The mind has got to be grounded by real life experience and the capacity to keep both of your feet on the ground. Thanks for sharing this Chris.

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I find there's always a cycle between the concrete and abstract. Need to find legibility in the abstract and experience in the concrete.

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I like that!

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I've heard of BJJ, but have never seen a match. These were really interesting to watch -- especially after reading your comments about the second match and controlling your inner voice. Enjoyed your commentary about what was happening. Congrats on the win! 🙌 👏

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Jun 11·edited Jun 11Liked by Chris Wong

Congrats, Chris. Your accomplishment is very inspiring!

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Congratulations on your win—BJJ looks grueling!

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