Recent Episodes & Write-Ups
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Metamoris
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Raf's Recollection | More to come about Metamoris 3.
Raf and Kev compare notes between seeing it live and the webcast, and the guys invite an all star group of BJJ friends to help us breakdown each match.
Give a listen right here.
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Raf's Recollection | Coming Soon, more on our exclusive interview with Clark Gracie.
Plus, we chat about last weekend's UFC Fight Night from Brazil, discuss our Metamoris 3 predictions, and then I talk a little bit about my recent engagement (because Kevin can't stop bringing it up).
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Raf's Recollection | Perhaps the coolest thing about this week’s podcast was gaining insight into the two very different paths of Metamoris 3 participants Samir Chantre and Zak Maxwell.
By now, many of us have seen the preview videos, we’ve heard the stories, but few of us actually know
how the Metamoris match-ups come together. On this installment, Zak tells us the way he was approached to compete at the tournament, while Samir gives us some insight into the training practices and strategies that go into preparing for this unique 20 minute, submission style match up.
Not only that, but Samir also tells us what it’s like training with Caio Terra, what competitive activities jiu-jitsu rock stars do on their days off, and even gives us some insight on how the hell this photo came together.
This photo may also help to explain the sense of humor Samir exhibits when we ask him about the possibility of forming a tag team partnership with Clark Gracie to take on the Mendes Brothers.
Meanwhile, we talk with Zak about the awkward wording on his BJJ Heroes profile, the way he studies tape for upcoming jiu-jitsu matches, and gives us some fantastic detail about his training sessions with Royler Gracie (his wording about Royler should be put on a t-shirt and sold immediately).
And as we get closer to Metamoris 3, it’s listening stories like Samir’s and Zak’s that help us better understand the mentality of two different, but widely respected jiu-jitsu practitioners as they prepare for such a highly anticipated event.
But Wait, There’s More
Not only do we do a summary of last week’s UFC Fight Night in London, we also call upon our friend Marshal D. Carper to participate in our latest installment of Over/Under Kevin: UFC 171 edition.
Normally, I surprise Kevin with the folks he takes on in this segment, but this marks the first time I was ever surprised by one of our guests who brought a guest of their own.
Marshal’s not one to take things lightly, so he definitely put in a lot of time into his picks—which is such a wonderful contrast to Kevin’s CliffNotes preparation.
You can follow Marshal at one of this twenty writing things on the internet. Try these:
Or you can read his book.
For the observant among you, you may notice that Marshal left a note on my copy of his book with an inscription to me.
And just because I know you're begging for it...
Here is that inscription.
Well played, Marshall. Well played.
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Raf's Recollection | It is always a good time when John Evans stops by the podcast. This week, I surprise my slow witted co-host in our latest installment of Over/Under Kevin with the return of John Evans to help us preview UFC 169.
It seems like it’s been forever and a day since we last had John on the podcast, but we get a chance to catch up on what the very busy jiu-jitsu badass and all-around-good-guy has been up to.
And man, has this guy been busy.
Last week, John hosted the very first BJJ Breakdown Blue Belt, Submission Only invitational. It was a live event that John organized and streamed that featured some great match-ups among some of the most respected blue belts around our community (and ultimately won by the awesome Kyle Buena).
For those who missed the live stream, John just put up the first match from the event up on his YouTube page. I’d highly encourage you to check it out and keep an eye out at BJJBreakdown YouTube page for even more awesome fights.
Verbal Tap Covers RFA 12
So, not only do we preview who will win UFC 169 with a game of Over/Under Kevin between Evans and Kevin, but we also talk about the awesome time we had covering Resurrection Fighting Alliance 12 last Friday.
The fights did not disappoint. Not only did we get to see our friends from Systems Trianing Center pull off a hat trick’s worth of submissions at the event (Dmitry Gerasimov, Terrion Wear, and Pedro Munhoz), but the entire fight card from start to finish provided a set of spectacular finishes, knock outs, and battles inside that cage. It’s no wonder this organization has sent 8 fighters to the UFC recently; the caliber of the fighters involved is nothing short of spectacular.
My eternal thanks to our pal Octavio Villanueva for his fantastic work helping put this all together. In addition to being an awesome BJJ practitioner, Octavio also put together this fantastic RFA 12 highlight reel that deserves your attention and your likes.
Starting a Rukus
We also speak with Fight Music producer Mikey Rukus about his upcoming music tour. If you’re not familiar with Mikey just yet, chances are you’re already familiar with his work—as he’s provided the walk out entrances to some of your favorite MMA athletes.
Mikey’s about to embark upon a music tour that will be touring alongside the next series of UFC events across the country, so definitely go check him out if you get the chance!
Thank You, Readers (and BJJ Reddit)
We also talk about the first entry about my BJJ Training Journal series (Shouldn’t You Be a Blue Belt by Now?) and describe how blown away we were by the community’s support (especially the great folks over at BJJ Reddit).
My mind's still blown that an introspective piece about my own experiences would resonate with so many people, but I'm humbled and encouraged by all of your kind words. It's moments like this that remind me I am involved in the right support and prove why the jiu-jitsu community is the best in sports. As such, I will continue to keep you updated on my progress through humorous essays and recaps. Again, thank you all so much. I can't wait for you to read the next one.
Also, feel free to throw topics and ideas at me. I'll be happy to write essays and jokes about prompts that you guys throw at me, so feel free to do so over at @VerbalTapCast.
In Case You Missed It
Check out my interview with Ralek Gracie from RFA 12, where we talk about Metamoris 3, why it’s so hard to make money in jiu-jitsu, and why you should buy the live stream of Metamoris 3.
And, don’t sleep on my post-fight interview with recent Verbal Tap guest, Dmitry Gigapet.
Or is it Gerasimov? I can never remember.
That's all for now folks. We'll see you back here next week with another thrilling installment of Verbal Tap.
Raf's Recollection | Allow me to be entirely forthcoming: Metamoris II was the first time I’ve ever attended a grappling tournament.
Over the years, I’ve covered and attended dozens of UFC’s, Mixed Martial Arts competitions, and boxing matches, but last Sunday marked the first time I’ve ever attended a grappling-only tournament.
Yes, I, too, have no idea how I’ve never been to a single grappling-only tournament; No, I don’t get out much.
Now that’s not to say I’m completely oblivious to the competitive world of competitive jiu-jitsu. I’m familiar with the athletes, I regularly watch the matches, and have an above average recollection of the trends in the sport. But it’s also why I thought it best to bring along a strong jiu-jitsu technician (and all around good guy), John Evans, to properly contextualize the event for all of our dedicated grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fans (you can read his excellent summary of the event right here).
Having said all that, I came to Metamoris with high expectations. This is, after all, an event that prides itself on being the alternative to the oft-criticized world of elite jiu-jitsu. The format, the rules, and the first-rate caliber athletes involved display a thoughtful and measured response to the “point” and “advantage” system that some argue ruin the essence of modern jiu-jitsu competition.
And with just that concept and design, the event gave us plenty to talk about this week: On our podcast here, we touch upon all of the individual matches (good and bad) and have a thoughtful discussion about type athleticism that was displayed on the Metamoris mats.
But I’d like to take a moment to talk specifically about my own experience and the concept of “spectacle.”
To begin, you could tell there were a few looming ghosts from inaugural event. After the event started over an hour late last year, everything seemed rushed at the pace of a runaway freight train. I’m a stickler to keeping things prompt, but I can also understand the difficulty of keeping things on time for a PPV, when you have matches that can go anywhere from one to twenty minutes (especially when five of the six matches go the distance). However, from a production standpoint, if the audience feels like you’re rushing, chances are it’s because you’re rushing. There is a certain effortlessness the event has yet to find that can easily make the production value of the event come off as more assured.
Second, in what was perhaps the biggest conversation piece after the event: Match-ups are key. When they work (Galvao v. Lovato Jr., Dern v. Nicolini), they produce fascinating displays of jiu-jitsu between two equally matched opponents that, even if they don’t end in a finish, do more to advance the art. But when you get match ups that are a hard sell to begin with, you sometimes get what you pay for. My sincere congrats for Brendan Schaub for volunteering to be a participant in the event. Seriously. It’s a level of competition that is truly difficult and I don’t think anyone would fault him for wanting to be involved. Would I have like to see him engage more with Cyborg? Of course. Would I have like to have seen Cyborg calculate a new game plan when there was an opponent who was “running away?” Sure. But the fault isn’t so black and white. Did Schaub have an obligation to “fall into Cyborg’s guard?” Should a seasoned jiu-jitsu guy like Cyborg—who doesn’t typically have the problem of an opponent who is constantly backpedaling—be forced to dictate the pace and abandon his own game plan just because he “knows better?” Again, a tricky conundrum. It seemed both performers were implementing a game plan to “win,” which sadly came at the expense of anything remotely worth watching. So let’s take it a step further: With the very prevalent disparity between the participants, what was the expectation in this match? I’ve run this scenario a hundred times in my brain and have still yet to produce an answer, except to say that maybe next year we give Cyborg an opponent that’s at least on his level. I think there are few people who would question Cyborg’s placement on a Metamoris card, why not give him the type of opponent he deserves? Who knows, could produce something that’s fascinating for all the right reasons.
And I’m sure I can spend a lot of time discussing how the event would have been better served with more than a week after the Worlds (we can play this set of “what if” scenarios for days). But I take Metamoris President Ralek Gracie and team at their word when they say they plan to work around other jiu-jitsu competitions in the future.
Blemishes aside, Metamoris has more in its win column than it does in its needs improvement file.
The stage. The programs. The invitations. The promos. All things this tournament gets right. But it’s more than just all the small things, for me the thing that makes Metamoris so uniquely special is “the feel.”
The majority of the audience (when they’re not heckling Schaub) is quiet and respects the athletes. The mood is tense and ooh’s and aww’s come with every sweep and take down attempt almost instinctively, with the tempered politeness a reflection of an educated audience who understands how difficult many of these moves are to pull off. In some ways, despite the band, the big lights, and the large cheering crowd, the competition gives off a kind of “exclusive” vibe. At one point, the intimacy of the venue and quietness made it feel like we were given the opportunity to watch a match between two high level practitioners at a local academy that would otherwise be closed off to the lower belts and spectators. The kind of thing that in years past would have just been the subject of lore and storytelling. Pulling off that kind of thing isn’t easy and is certainly worthy of recognition.
So depending on what it is you consider ideal, I think when it comes to format, even the most impassioned jiu-jitsu fan would have to admit that the concept of a perfect system seems somewhat out of reach.
There will always be Brendan Schaub’s. Time limit draws. Audiences who may not “get it” or resist these kinds of events from time to time.
But that doesn’t mean we stop trying. Aside from all of the superb attention to detail and ethos the Gracie family loans this event, the strongest thing Metamoris may have going for it right now is zeitgeist. It is the right tournament at the right time.
Frankly, as a jiu-jitsu fan, we don’t have many large-scale options. There’s no other event that makes this sport come off like a spectacle. The athletes are treated like rock stars, the selection of venue is just right, and a majority of the players and participants are spot-on. For the time being, why not make this the exclusive home for competitive jiu-jitsu? Care less about giving us match-ups with marquee UFC fighters and care more about filling that spectacle void that so many of us jiu-jitsu fans crave and need.
And, in return, as fans of the sport, we should keep the following grim realities in check before we use our collective wit to troll the internet: we don’t live in an age where Nike sponsorships happen to the elite-level jiu-jitsu practitioner, we don’t have coverage on national prime time television, and the sport that closest resembles this one is currently fighting for its rightful place in the Olympics. At the end of the day, I think we need to ask ourselves: do we want to see something like this on a regular basis? And, if so, is there anything else out there like it? At least here, for better or worse, we have a collection of folks putting this event together who care.
The very figurehead of said organization caring so much he does something like this:
I’m not sure I share the look of grave concern expressed by Ralek here (I think the show was far from a disappointment and has more positives than his face lets on), but it is nice to know that going forward we’ve got someone who wants to give us the best kind of experience possible. But I also feel good in knowing that as long as he and his team are committed to giving us a first-rate event, they merit a strong consideration for an experimental format that puts jiu-jitsu on display for those people who love it.
And that’s why I, for one, was happy to call Metamoris II my first live grappling experience. And hope it’s the first of many to come.
