Anderson Silva’s Bentley Continental GT / Photo by Jorge Guimarães

Christmas is a time for gathering of families and friends, as well as for gift-giving. Even 20 days before the official date, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has already received a treat from his employers. Dana White gave the “Spider” a Bentley Continental GT.

The vehicle costs around BRL 900,000 (around USD 450,000) in Brazil, goes from 0 to 96 km/h in 4.4 seconds, and can reach speeds of 300 km/h; so Anderson had best go easy with his feet.

The owner of the same model, light heavyweight champ Jon Jones has already provided a good lesson of what not to do, when he lost control and ended up in a nasty fender-bender late one evening.

Bibiano Fernandes (in white) against Jonatas Tagarela at 2006 World Championship, one of the last tournaments he was in before migrating to MMA / GRACIEMAG archive photo

Bibiano Fernandes, a 32-year-old black belt, boasts a game of lightning-quick transitions and major explosiveness. And now, after a sterling career on the mats and 12 wins in 15 fights in MMA, “The Flash” shares his performance secrets in GRACIEMAG #187.

In the interview, Bibiano recollects how his nickname first surfaced, in fighters’ favorite Jiu-Jitsu magazine.

GRACIEMAG.com sifted through the FACE TO FACE section to bring you a couple of the more enticing excerpts, in case you haven’t picked up a copy at your local bookstore yet:

1. How to be a speedy fighter:

“I think that speed in martial arts is part explosiveness, part in your head. Before going in to fight I’d try and analyze the whole fight in my head. That way, I think I was always a step ahead of my opponent in thought. And that way you push the pace in the fight. Even when I’d roll with a teammate in training, I’d have two, three submission options in mind,” says Bibiano.

2. How do you enhance your lung capacity?

“I think that speed in martial arts is part explo When I started training with Osvaldo Alves I’d do a lot of running on the sand, sprints on the beach. We’d do a light run and then do 20 under-20-second sprints. But want to know what the secret to endurance is, boss? Let’s say you’re in the middle of a roll at training and you start feeling fatigued. Your mind says, “I’m done.” Well, that happens to everyone. And what do you do? You stop or ask to stop. That’s wrong; your body’s being blocked by your mind. The big secret is to push on,” the Amazonas State native teaches, among other ultra-useful odds and ends.

Want more pointers on how to up your performance in training? Then head to the nearest bookstore and get a copy!

To subscribe and get the most complete Jiu-Jitsu magazine on the planet delivered to your doorstep every month, click here.

Martin Rooney, our physical conditioning columnist / GRACIEMAG archive photo

What do you feel counts more in Jiu-Jitsu—technique or strength?

The right answer is that they both count. The combination of strength and technique is vital for attaining tournament success, as well as for keeping amateur practitioners from suffering injuries.

“Power is a combination of force and speed. Without enough force, you are limited in your ability to generate power,” explains our columnist Martin Rooney, the author of the book “Training for Warriors”.

In the video below, trainer of the stars Martin and his understudy Ricardo Cachorrão demonstrate how to fuse weight training and sprawl practice to ramp up your Jiu-Jitsu. The workout comes in handy if you’re looking to up your stamina and strengthen your back and legs, while giving you a break from run-of-the-mill weight-room routines.

As Martin explains, you don’t have to start heavy right off the bat. Start light and gradually work your way up.

And don’t forget, Martin Rooney shares his discoveries in GRACIEMAG every month. Subscribe here to stay in the loop.