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Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)

Paul Greenhill


Last Updated: 11/22/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 45
Sign: Leo

City: CLINTON
State: Maryland
Country: US
Signup Date: 9/1/2007

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Friday, November 27, 2009 
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. NOW it's time to enjoy Black Friday >>> http://www.TheWiseGrappler.com/blackfriday.htm

Click on the link or cut and paste the website above into your browser and get some of the best push-and-play products available.

Some items are only $10 bucks!! Unbelievable.

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)

P.S. Today isn't the day to procrastinate on taking advantage of these prices because some items are in limited supply.  Do yourself a favor and go to the website NOW before it's too late!  http://www.TheWiseGrappler.com/blackfriday.htm
9:26 PM 
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Friday, November 27, 2009 
I know it's late in the day, but I wanted to take a moment before it was too late to wish you and everyone in the OG Nation a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

I love this holiday because it's focused on being grateful for what we have, along with helping others with what they don't have.

And while being thankful is a good thing, if you feel you don't have a lot (or enough) to be thankful about, then go and get yourself something or some reason to be thankful.

That way, as time passes, you'll have more and more reasons to be thankful for since you've made it your business to get things that make you thankful and appreciative.

This year, I do have many things in my life that make me feel very grateful.

Would I prefer there be more? Absolutely. But I'm content with what I have this year and excited about the possibilities of all the things I'll have to be grateful for in the years to come.

Finally, I'm grateful to you for reading my messages. I hope they help you in some small way, especially if you're outside the USA and the Thanksgiving Holiday isn't celebrated in your country. I hope that you have a wonderful day as well.

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)

P.S. Black Friday is TOMORROW (Friday, November 27, 2009) and you should wait until then to take advantage of the sale to invest in the grappling, mental mindset, AND strength and conditioning products.  Be on the lookout for an email with "OG Nation Black Friday Sale" in the subject line.

P.P.S. If you haven't downloaded the interview I did with 2004 Olympian Rhadi Ferguson, you're helping every opponent that will submit you in 2010 thanks to your procrastination!  GO DOWNLOAD IT NOW (http://dwarfurl.com/a7fd6) so you can take your grappling to the next level!
2:10 AM 
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Sunday, November 22, 2009 
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about an OG finding the "missing piece to his grappling puzzle" by accident during a sparring session.

Well, I got an email from an OG that thought maybe I was stretching it a bit for the sake of having something good to write about and I wanted to share with you his comment and my reply to it.

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)
www.TheWiseGrappler.com
paul@thewisegrappler.com
www.Twitter.com/thewisegrappler
 
---------------------------

Ask the Wise Grappler:

"So are you telling me that if a 45 year old white belt with no contact sport experience goes up against Rickson Gracie, he can just think his way through a 5-minute match and not get tapped? I'd love to see that happen."


TWG: No OG, I wasn't trying to say that "a 45 year old white belt with no contact sport experience" would use their mindset to beat up Rickson Gracie in a 5-minute match. Even though I believe that anything's possible (based on pure chance or a fluke), I wouldn't bet my last dollar on it! There have been people with more grappling and mental mindset experience than our 45 yrs old couch potato (with no sports background) that have tried and failed miserably against the man that many (me included) believe is the best proponent of BJJ in the world today.

Here's what I was trying to say in that "Missing Piece" Article.

The positive OG Mental Mindset's main role is to have an effect on the grappler or combat athlete's performance during a match. It provides absolutely NO GUARANTEE that the match outcome will be in favor of the combatant; only that it will force the athlete to fight hard enough to either meet the current challenge successfully or to go down fighting unsuccessfully.

For example, whenever you have a grappler or combat athlete getting ready for a contest, they have to believe without a shadow of doubt in their mind that they're prepared and going to win a match. If they don't (whether it's due to lack of confidence or preparation), then they've already lost the match. In fact, if you spoke to both combatants before a match, both would tell you they're going to win and that's expected. In fact, I've NEVER heard an athlete after losing a match (whether by decision or being knocked out) say they didn't think they even had a chance to win.

There are so many variables that come together to bring about a winning outcome in a performance (with mindset only being one of them), that it would be virtually impossible to point to one thing to say that's the one thing I need to focus on exclusively that will determine the outcome of every match.

In my opinion, to compare White Belt A sparring with Rickson Gracie and using his positive mat mindset to force Rickson to submit, instead of White Belt A sparring with White Belt B, isn't a fair comparison at all. There's a very good chance that if White Belt A knew he was going to spar with Rickson, White Belt A would probably think they don't have a snowball's chance in Hell against him and would probably just be waiting for the tap to come.

Technically, White Belt A would probably be right. But as a coach, I want to believe that Rickson would correct that white belt's thinking on the spot by saying something motivational to correct the negative thinking, causing that white belt to fight as hard as possible... until he made them tap!

I hope this cleared up any misunderstanding from the "Missing Piece to the Grappling Puzzle" Article. If not, send me another email and I'll try to get it right the second time! :-)

--------------------------------

CHECK OUT THE ARCHIVES
Past e-newsletters and testimonials are available here...
www.TheWiseGrappler.com

NOT ON THE WISE GRAPPLER MAILING LIST???
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GOT QUESTIONS FOR THE WISE GRAPPLER?
Send an email to paul@thewisegrappler.com

NOT A MEMBER OF MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE YET... WHY NOT?
http://dwarfurl.com/1b908

FOLLOW THEWISEGRAPPLER ON TWITTER!
www.Twitter.com/thewisegrappler
 
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Paul Greenhill, "The Wise Grappler", is the creator of The Wise Grappler System, OG Shadow Grappling, and author of The Wise Grappler Ezine, a weekly ezine that provides grappling and mental mindset training tips and products for the older (over 35) and non-traditional/non-competitive martial artists of all ages. To learn more about "training smarter, not harder!" and more FREE tips like these, visit his site at www.TheWiseGrappler.com

Copyright (c) 2007-09. Paul M. Greenhill. All Rights Reserved.
pplerppler
12:36 AM 
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Saturday, November 14, 2009 
Whenever there's a UFC Event, it's usually pretty easy for me to pick who to cheer for... I usually pick the OG!

Well, that's going to change in UFC 105 because the main event on this fight card has created a MAJOR dilemma for me and most of the OG Nation.  And I don't mind saying that I'm struggling with who to cheer for in this one.

Why?

It's because two of the biggest and baddest OGs from the OG Nation, Randy Couture and Brandon Vera, are squaring off in the main event. Of course, you know that, right?  But what you don't know is why it's a struggle for me.

Here's why:  Randy Couture was an OG when being an OG wasn't cool. Randy was out there getting it done when haters were laughing at every combat athlete over 35 out there trying to get it done, but just came up short.  Randy was the main OG that endured those haters tossing the H2O (he's too old) Bombs his way every chance they got, proving them wrong more times than they were right.

Randy made it cool to be an OG!

And last but not least, Randy was also the first inductee into The Wise Grappler Hall of Fame (http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/? =Agyka&m=1dcJ7_aUJvBDQD&b=C0jwOceTkojdGLwp45NgXg).

As for Brandon Vera, that's my friend, teammate, and brother.  I've been training with and known Brandon for a long time.  Brandon was calling me "Master Paul" and "MP" out of respect long after his skills has surpassed mine and before 99 percent of the people reading this had ever heard of me or The Wise Grappler.

And when I was still competing (like in this picture here with Brandon at a GQ Event back in the day: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Agyka&m=1dcJ7_aUJvBDQD&b=vLRSK7cgmK4zM.fnZ9Q0Fw),
Brandon was the guy that took time out during a visit to give me 30-minute private lesson on how to hit the perfect double leg without getting my head caught in the guillotine.

And because of who these OGs are, they're gonna go out there and lay it all on the line... with one OG emerging from the battle victorious and one in defeat.  The only question that remains now is... which one will it be since they both can't win and you're used to rooting for both of them.
NOW do you see my dilemma?

Regardless of which one I pick (and I have but will keep quiet so that no one can say I was wrong), it's going to be one heckuva fight from these two OGs for the entire world to see and I wish them both the best of luck!

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Paul Greenhill, "The Wise Grappler", is the creator of The Wise Grappler System, OG Shadow Grappling and author of The Wise Grappler Ezine, a weekly ezine that provides grappling and mental mindset training tips and products for the older (over 35) and non-traditional/non-competitive martial artists of all ages. To learn more about "training smarter, not harder!" and more FREE tips like these, visit his site at www.TheWiseGrappler.com

(c) 2009 Paul M. Greenhill
10:57 PM 
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009 

Category: Sports
Are wrestlers tougher than BJJers?

That's the question that has been bothering me for years.  And probably like you, I have a natural bias to support my decision based on what I am... a BJJer.

But in spite of that bias, I'm gonna tackle this question as objectively as possible to support my theory.  So, just bear with me before you call me an idiot.

Ok, the answer to the question are wrestlers tougher than BJJers is... yes and no.

Why, you ask?

The reason that I say wrestlers are tougher than BJJers is because of the way they train and the mindset that's engrained (overtly and covertly) within the training.

If you've ever been around wrestlers for any period of time, it's easy to notice common traits they possess, regardless of whether they're pee-wee, master/veterans level wrestler, and every level in between.

And what stands out in my mind about wrestlers are these common characteristics:

- They're always aggressive on the mat
- They usually attack first
- They're not afraid to work hard, even to point of complete exhaustion
- They'll fight anybody, regardless of size
- They're all a little cocky about their skill set
- They believe they can beat anyone in the world that faces them
- They don't quit on themselves during a match and if they do, they're destroying something as soon as the match is over
- They hate losing at anything
- They basically evaluate grapplers in two categories: you're either tough or a punk

Now, are those characteristics that BJJers don't possess? No, that's not what I'm saying at all.

It's not that BJJers can't have that tough mindset that I've mentioned above because many do, especially those schools that are involved in various competitive events (e.g. BJJ Tourneys, MMA Events, etc).

What I believe is the way that BJJ has been marketed (e.g. an art for a smaller man to win against a bigger man, technique not strength, etc.) for average Joe has made it easier for the "toughness" aspect to be downplayed (or even removed) from the daily training, especially when a certain amount of people are paying to learn how to grapple as a recreational activity.

And since instructors must create friendly training environments where all students (from MMAers to couch potatoes) can train and not feel physically overwhelmed, it's easy for an environment to evolve where an instructor or coach has to:

- "Protect" certain grapplers from training with other grapplers
- Allow grapplers to skip certain part of the workout (e.g. warm-ups) so they won't be too tired
- Allow grapplers to not train because they're getting tired and don't want to lose
- Avoid certain training situations (e.g. takedowns) for fear of injury or it's too exhausting
- Displaying passive behavior on the mat
- Quitting during matches with impunity

And while that may be the "right" thing to do as far as business is concerned, that approach makes it easy to remove the element of toughness that's automatically engrained within BJJ training to make it "safer and friendly" for the potential student.

And once many students realize how demanding the training can be, they usually quit before ever achieving a purple or even a blue belt.

What's the solution for the BJJer?  Well, I think the solution lies in the question itself.  I don't really think it's important to improve who's tougher, but I think it's quite obvious that we should lean towards wrestlers to learn how to engrain the tough mental mindset into grappling training, for grapplers of all ages to learn.

One of the ways that I do that is by having my "Wise Grappler Grappling Legends Interview Series" with legendary wrestling figures to pick their brains on what it take to be mentally tough on the mat and how to engrain those tips into the OG mindset.

And in this second interview installment, I had the pleasure to interview 13-time National and World's Master/Veterans Wrestling Champion and wrestling coach of 30 plus years, Jack Hornbuckle (OSU Cowboy, 1966-70).

Jack has been coached and trained with some of the best wrestlers in the world as well as produced wrestling champions, including his own daughter (Jimi).  And with his resume, he was a perfect candidate to talk about how an OG can get "mentally tough" for grappling.

So, go to this link

and download the interview. It's 48 mins long and I saved it as an mp3 file so that you can download it to your iPod or burn to a CD to listen to while working out or driving in the car.

Don't put it off, go download and listen to this interview now and make sure to pass the link on to all your BJJ friends.  We BJJers gotta put those wrestlers on notice!
4:22 AM 
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Thursday, July 16, 2009 

Category: Sports
Have you ever noticed that with all the grappling techniques and videos that are available to a grappler these days that most of them (if not all) spend more time showing you how to do a technique instead of:
- when you should (or shouldn't) use a technique
- why you should (or shouldn't) use the technique during a match
- where's the best place, time or mindset to have when using a certain technique or training with a certain type of opponent
- who's the best type of opponent to use it against

That's what is missing from most grappling instruction... too much grappling technique and not enough mat strategy.

And in my opinion, here's the end result of that formula:
100 PERCENT TECHNIQUE + 0 MAT STRATEGY = MEDIOCRE GRAPPLER

You may find a few grapplers that can defy the formula, but they're the exception and NOT the rule.

And that's why so many grapplers never improve. 

They don't know they're missing the  "why", "who" or "where" to go with the technical how.  Instead, they just go on a neverending scavanger hunt looking for the "ulimate technique" that doesn't exist.

Fortunately, I'm going to do my part to start changing that training mindset today with the first video from my "10 Common Mistakes & Mat Attitudes" Training System.  

The first video is "Resting in the Wrong Position (Part 1)" from the "10 Common Grappling Mistakes" DVD.  This is a two-part mistake (covering both top and bottom positions), but I only include one part in the sneak preview sequence.

If you're making this mistake, fix it the next time in class and then take note how your game changes after the fix.

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)

PS. I'm going to be sending you three more very simple yet effective common grappling mistakes and mat attitudes concepts over the next few days. So, take out your notebook, enjoy the videos, and make sure to leave a comment after you've watched the videos!

Copyright (c) 2007-09. Paul M. Greenhill. All Rights Reserved.
11:09 PM 
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Sunday, July 12, 2009 

Category: Sports
that I had discussed with another OG on my Facebook Fan Page about a week ago in response to a quote I posted about not getting discouraged or quitting when things get hard during training.

And I’m glad that he suggested that I send it out to the OG Nation and the guts to admit it publically instead of running from the issue and probably leaving the mat permanently.

Check it out and pass it along to anyone you think could use the mat motivation…


MW: It’s so tempting sometimes to give up though, Master P. – not something I should admit on a semi-public forum – but I’m sure everyone in BJJ whose had to spend more than 50% of their BJJ sparring time on the bottom knows what I’m talking about. So,what’s the secret to NOT giving up – pure will power? Will power fueled by intelligence? What’s the role of our instincts vs. our will vs. our bains?

PG: The only thing that keeps you from giving up when things seem bleak is your pain of living without the end result is greater than the pain you endure trying to achieve it… that’s it! If you feel that you can live your life without that thing that you’re trying to achieve, then it will be easy to wonder during EVERY low moment why you’re still doing it.

But if you’ve made up your mind that this one thing is worth all the blood, sweat, tears, embarrassment, black eyes, insults, and everything else that accompanies the end result, you’ll find a way to suck it up and get your azz out there the next day, believing that tomorrow’s going to be better.

Will it be better the next day, maybe… maybe not.

But you have to believe that it’s going to get better because you’re getting better. And if others that were a lot weaker (physically, mentally, and emotionally) could do it, so can you!

I’ve NEVER had a damn thing in my life come easy for me and every major goal I set out to accomplished was met by doubt by many and even self-doubt from me.

I wasn’t tough enough to be a marine, not smart enough to be a computer science major or bad enough to be a BJJ Black Belt… but I proved them all wrong because the pain of failing and not becoming those things was greater than the pain that I endured to succeed along the way.

Even when I wanted to quit all of them, I couldn’t because I’m not a quitter. It wasn’t easy, but I had to keep telling myself that it’ll get better tomorrow and it did.

I don’t give a chit if you’re on the bottom of a grappling session 100 percent of the time. If you want that black belt, you’ll believe that tomorrow will be easier and won’t stop until you get it.

That’s the secret to not giving up!

Think about what I typed for a few minutes before you respond back to me.

MW: I’m ready to go back to the mats. You are inspirational. Please share those comments with your OG mailing list. I’m not sure everyone in the Nation is hooked to Facebook yet.
8:20 PM 
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Saturday, June 27, 2009 
Finally, the long awaited OG Clinic 3: OG Defense 101 course is finally available.
You can get it now at the link below:

This discount will only be available for three days.  On Monday June 29, 2009 at midnight, the discount will be taken away.

This is the world's first and only complete training resource that is dedicated to helping you discover how to master defensive grappling techniques and strategies.

Just wait until you try using the defensive techniques and strategies that 90 percent of your teammates have no clue even exist and see how difficult it will be for your opponents to mount an attack against you.

Go get your hands on it now!

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)
9:06 PM 
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Thursday, June 25, 2009 
(new videos) OG Defense 101


Tomorrow (June 26, 2009), I release "OG Clinic 3: OG Defense 101" at a great
discount.  I'm only selling the course at this price until midnight Monday, June 29, 2009.


Here are the video links that I've sent from OGC3 just in case you missed any of them or couldn't watch them because they didn't load correctly.


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The cost of the OG Clinic 3: OG Defense 101 2-DVD Set is $87 plus S&H ($7 us, $14 intl), for a total investment of $94 USD ($101 USD Intl).


However, if you get your copy before midnight Monday, June29, 2009, your investment in this specialized grappling resource is only $69...and the shipping is on me!


Dedicated to improving your mat experience!


Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)


PS.  Remember, the OGC3 will return to its original price of $94-$101 on midnight, Monday, June 29, 2009.  Don't miss out on a  great introductory special to take your grappling to the next level, along with free shipping.
9:51 PM 
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009 

Current mood:  accomplished
The response from the first video that I sent out on Friday was amazing! If you liked the "Driving the Head" Technique, then you're going to love this one.

The second video is a defensive strategy that I call the "Less than 70 Rule" Transition Concept that works extremely well with "Driving the Head" and from other defensive positions as well.

http://dwarfurl.com/edcb6

This is super simple to do and will catch your opponent totally off guard because they will always be playing catch up with you or wondering why you're always one step ahead of them.

Trust me, this works like magic and you'll be able to do it in your sparring matches in no time without thinking about doing it.

Check it out for yourself.

http://dwarfurl.com/edcb6

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)


PS. If you missed the video from last week, I've pasted the email that I sent out on Friday. Make sure you check that video out too at http://dwarfurl.com/6d141


Copyright (c) 2007-09. Paul M. Greenhill. All Rights Reserved.
4:01 AM 
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