https://blackbeltsportsperformance.mykajabi.com/

Doctor Kickass, Sacramento, CA (2026)

03/10/2026

Treating the Jiu Jitsu Athlete LIVE in-person Course coming to New York!
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Saturday June 6th I will be in Queens NY teaching my last live jiu jitsu rehab course for 2026! If you are interested make sure not to miss this opportunity!

03/09/2026

Here are 2 very important considerations if you are a rehab professional who works with jiu jitsu athletes:

1️⃣Have a clearly laid out plan for return to jiu jitsu: starting at acute injury you need to know when and how to clear them to the next stage.
2️⃣Tell them what they CAN do not what they CANNOT do. If you don’t give a jiu jitsu athlete clear instructions and an alternative they will push the limit.

03/09/2026

Happy International Women’s Day!
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One of the coolest things about jiu jitsu is getting to share the journey with the people closest to you.

Always happy and lucky to have my wife training with me on the mats (Despite her beating me up!)

03/08/2026

The Physiology of Groin Strikes
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Last night at UFC, there were multiple groin strikes — most notably , who absorbed THREE low blows during his fight. One strike was so damaging he was forced to vomit while recovering from the illegal blow.
A strike to the groin is one of the most debilitating impacts in combat sports due to the extreme sensitivity and vulnerability of the area.

Why Groin Strikes Are So Painful
1️⃣ High Nerve Density The testicles contain a dense concentration of sensory nerves. When struck, the pain can be intense and often radiates into the lower abdomen.
This severe pain can trigger immediate physical responses such as:
* Nausea
* Dizziness
* Involuntary muscle spasms
These symptoms can temporarily incapacitate a fighter, making it difficult to stand or defend themselves.
In some cases, a significant impact can trigger a vasovagal response, causing a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. This may lead to:
* Nausea
* Lightheadedness
* Global Weakness
* Temporary faintness

Why the Area Is So Vulnerable
Unlike most parts of the body, the testicles are external and lack protection from muscle or bone.
The body does have a small protective mechanism: the Cremasteric Reflex.
This reflex causes rapid contraction of the cremaster muscle, elevating the testicle in response to stimulation. While it can help slightly with protection, it isn’t fast enough to prevent trauma from a direct strike.

Injury Statistics
Research suggests groin injuries account for about 0.5% of total injuries in MMA (Rainey 2009).
However, when significant trauma does occur ( Grigorian 2018)
* 74.5% involve isolated scrotal or testicular injury
* 48.3% require surgical intervention
* The most common procedure is repair of a testicular or scrotal laceration (37.3%)

Combat sports athletes train to absorb a lot of punishment — but few strikes cause immediate physiological shutdown like a groin shot.

03/07/2026

Neck Strengthening for Combat Sports: Should you be using Neck Bridging?
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The neck bridge has been a strengthening exercise that combat athletes (grapplers / strikers) have used for hundreds of years. Grappling is fairly hard on the neck so having a strong neck is key for injury mitigation. Does the neck bridge reduce injury or exacerbate it?

The challenge with this exercise is while you are strengthening the cervical muscles you are also axially compressing the spine. The cervical muscles have two main jobs:
1️⃣resist motion
2️⃣orient your head for optimal sensory input.

These muscles are stabilizers, not prime movers and not designed to support the human body.

Intervertebral discs are spacers between vertebrae. There is an inner layer (nucleus pulposus) surrounded by the outer layer (anulus fibrosus). The orientation of the structure is designed to absorb compressive forces on the spine.

Potential mechanisms of injury regarding discs:
1️⃣Excessive axial compression or shear forces from a single traumatic event. (Ex: landing on your head following a throw or sweep.)
2️⃣Repetitive forces of a lower magnitude over a prolonged period. (Ex: getting choked / punched for several years.)

The body is designed to adapt to stress, however there is a fine line regarding appropriate and excessive stress.

When to do this exercise:
In most cases, especially for an athlete with a previous neck injury, I would recommend alternative methods to strengthen the neck.

In the end there are no “bad” exercises as long as there is a rationale that will meet the desired goal but you have to weigh the inherent risk vs benefit.

03/06/2026

Probably the worst thing a medical professional can tell a jiu jitsu athlete is “just quit”. There may be times when that is the reality but most often with proper rehab and activity modification you can get an injured jiu jitsu athletes to the mats safely.

One of the most effective tools as a clinician I use with my jiu jitsu clients is not “what they CANNOT”, I tell them “what they CAN” do. That simple concept and I get the buy-in that I need to help them get back to the mats at the correct time.

If you are an injured jiu jitsu athlete frustrated with your medical care make sure to check out my “find a provider who understands jiu jitsu” list

03/05/2026

Where do Jiu Jitsu Injuries occur?
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I have done a fairly deep dive in the scientific literature for jiu jitsu injury epidemiology. While injury PREVENTION is unrealistic an important method of MITIGATING injury is know when / how they occur.

While many grapplers will look at a possible mechanism, such as specific joint locks (leg locks) and takedowns, and decide that since injuries can occur there it is best to avoid. The problem with this logic is that whenever a grappler IS exposed to those mechanisms they are now a novice in that area, and this under prepared.

Yes injuries can and do happen with joint locks and takedowns but in my clinical opinion it is best to exposed yourself to these mechanisms so that you know how to react proactively when it a potentially risky / dangerous position.

03/04/2026

Treating the Jiu Jitsu Athlete Course: Education Course East Coast 2026
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Treating the Jiu Jitsu Athlete – In-Person Course is headed to New York in 2026!

I’m beyond excited to bring this course to life — bridging the gap between rehab and the realities of combat sports. This course includes 8 hours of in-person learning and 5 hours of online content, designed to bridge the gap between rehab and the realities of combat sports. We’ll cover assessment, injury mechanisms, and training strategies specific to Jiu Jitsu athletes — taught by a clinician who lives on the mat.

When: Saturday June 6th 2026
Where: Peak Performance - Caio Terra Academy Queens NY, 22-20 College Point Blvd, College Point NY 11356

The last in-person jiu jitsu rehab course for 2026!

Join the waitlist for potential 2027 courses and be the first to know when new dates are announced.

Let’s keep pushing the standard for how we treat and train Jiu Jitsu athletes.

03/02/2026

Treating the Jiu Jitsu Athlete Course: Sacramento 2026
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This weekend was the SECOND in-person rehabilitation course designed for managing injured Jiu Jitsu Athletes. In attendance there were physical therapists, athletic trainers, former / current rehab clients, co-workers, training partners and old friends.

The course was a mix of lecture presentation, live sport specific application and of course rolling.

This is such rewarding experiences being able to present on my 2 passions: Jiu Jitsu and rehabilitation.

I want to continue to grow my provider list so I can make sure Jiu Jitsu athletes can find providers who understand the demands of their sport.

If you missed this opportunity I will be traveling to the East Coast next! in June I will be coming to New York. Registration opens this week. If you are interested in taking this CEU approved course let me know where I should travel to next for 2027.

02/26/2026

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: BLACK BELT Returned to Jiu Jitsu After a Partial ACL Tear WITHOUT surgery
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was told she needed ACL surgery with MRI confirmed a partial ACL tear.

Instead — she chose conservative care.
We focused on:
• Progressive strength development
• Knee-specific capacity building
• Knee Rotational control
• Grappling-specific positional loading
• Gradual exposure back to live training

Despite the injury she was able to return to unrestricted jiu jitsu.

This isn’t about saying surgery is “bad.”
ACL reconstruction is absolutely appropriate in many cases.
But partial ACL tears — especially in grapplers — deserve a real conversation about non-operative management.
Return to sport should be based on:
✔️ Time
✔️ Objective strength
✔️ Psychological readiness
✔️ Sport-specific tolerance
✔️ Tissue resilience

If you’re a grappler navigating an ACL injury, know this:
You have options.

02/10/2026

Testosterone-Optimizing Strategies for Jiu Jitsu Athletes
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In a sport like jiu jitsu, there is very little formal drug testing outside of the IBJJF, with potential plans for UFC BJJ beginning in 2026? As a result, many athletes rely on PEDs — and with the rise of master competitors, more athletes are turning to hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

This article outlines evidence-based strategies for optimizing testosterone for athletes who don’t want to go down that path.

1. Prioritize Energy Balance & Nutrition

2. Exercise Smart – Resistance Training!

3. Optimize Sleep

4. Be wary of with Supplements and questionable marketing strategies

5. Limit Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors

6. Minimize Use of Analgesics

7. Understand Recovery Methods and Environmental Factors

8. Recognize Seasonal Variations

9. Consider Effects of Sexual Activity

Reference
1. Lazarev, A., Pujalte, G. G., Philibert, C., Meek, S. E., Broderick, G. A., Zapp, D. G., ... & Hackney, A. C. (2026). Testosterone-Optimizing Strategies in Athletes. Sports Health, 19417381251411933.

02/07/2026

Can you return to combat sports without an ACL?
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In fighting and grappling the knee is the most commonly injured area. One of the most devastating injuries a fighter can have is an ACL tear, because complete tears often require surgery and extensive rehabilitation.

So if a fighter gets an ACL rupture it will require a reconstruction before they can return to training, right?

Evidence shows that is depends.

Copers vs. noncopers: 42% of people are copers, meaning they have enough leg strength and dynamic balance to function despite not having an ACL.

IDing a coper:
• No other injuries
• Minimal swelling • Full ROM
• Able to walk without a limp
• 70% quadriceps strength on bilateral comparison
• Hop on leg without pain
•1 or less incidents of knee giving out.

Many noncopers can become copers with a course of rehabilitation. This is why in Australia many athletes attempt PT initially opposed to going directly into surgery.

The UFCPI head PT often comments how many ranked UFC fighters are ACL deficient yet can still compete at the highest level!

But without an ACL arthritis risk is higher! Actually arthritis risk is elevated whether surgery happens or not. Meniscus tear risk is elevated however in ACL deficient knees.

ACL reconstruction is still the gold standard for ACL injuries, which is a decision up to the athlete, surgeon and other medical staff. However there are many high level athletes who return to activity without a functional ACL.

Doctor Kickass

03/10/2026

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03/09/2026

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03/07/2026

03/06/2026

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