Emil Fischer is a Jiu-jitsu Black Belt and BJJ competitor training under Pablo Angel Castro III at Strong Style MMA in Cleveland Ohio. An avid writer and competitor, Emil has amassed an extensive competition record. Most notably, Emil is a 2 time gold medalist at the IBJJF No Gi Pans, and has a submission victory record of 5-1 at Fight To Win Pro which includes purple belt no-gi light heavyweight championship
Emil’s sponsors are Impact Mouthguards, Cleveland Cryo, The Terphouse, Meerkatsu, Eddys on Coventry and Nottarookie. He is a Ludwig Van and Vanguard Kimono brand ambassador.
Every time I referee at a grappling competition, I see certain behavioral patterns among BJJ competitors. These are things I know that I have done, and sometimes still do, and some of these behaviors are mistakes. I’ve identified 5 common things competitors do that are counter productive:Too much time on the feetI get it. You […]
A very common issue that arises in competition is when a lesser competitor faces a superior competitor. More often than not matches in competition are mismatched, otherwise there would never be a winner. One thing I learned in the middle of my blue belt is that I am capable of beating vastly superior grapplers and […]
In a recent conversation with a blue belt, I heard something that got me thinking… My blue belt friend had been rolling with an higher belt (purple or brown) and caught him with a “mercy” lock (the technique Vagner Rocha hit on Marcin Held at Kasai) and the upper belt responded by calling the move […]
There are a few different kinds of atmospheres that are available in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world. Each comes with its own benefits and drawbacks. Here are the main ones that I’ve seen: Sportive BJJ academy: The sportive BJJ academy is one of the most popular kinds of training atmospheres. In this environment your focus […]
The jiu-jitsu world is small, so small in fact that we very often see bitter rivals share the mats with each other in order to exchange data and “cross train”. Some instructors discourage their students from cross training as a result of an antiquated concept of loyalty. Now, of course, if you are happy with […]
The first time I ever competed as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu white belt, I didn’t sleep the night before. I was super nervous going to the event and once I arrived at the event I saw everyone around me as a potential enemy. My first match I came out and was stiff as a board, by […]
Over the weekend, I had two opportunities to train with former Jiu-Jitsu opponents with whom I’ve remained in touch and am on friendly terms. Both of these gentlemen went out of their way to come train with me in preparation for upcoming matches I have. There are of course inherent risks to training with unfamiliar […]
Continued from Competition Mindset Part 2: For Best Results Be Prepared In my time competing I’ve collected several dozens of gold medals, I’ve won the IBJJF No Gi Pans twice and I’ve secured a Fight To Win Pro title, I’m not the best competitor in the world by any far stretch of the imagination but […]
Very often, we see people of similar athletic ability, physical attributes and natural grappling instincts progress at different speeds on the mat. This has less to do with the individual and more to do with their methods in training. There are some specific things you can do right now, right away to boost your mat […]
Continued from Competition Mindset Part 1: Stop Making Excuses In the realm of competition, your mindset can greatly depend on how you prepared. It is critical to prepare properly for competitions, both from the moment you find out about the competition to the day of the competition to the moment you step on the mat. […]