It Doesn't Matter How Slow You Go, On October 23rd, 2010, I entered my first competition as a white belt.  After winning my first match, I felt like I was on the top of the world.  But then I lost my next two. ...

Mixing the books and the mats can be challenging A common grievance among Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners also engaged in a pursuit of higher education is a difficulty in managing the time-consuming necessity of each entity. Unlike a career, students not only have...

Praying to learn some new guards? What’s your guard of choice? Every so often a new form of guard will hit the internet and make its rounds through all the social media channels. BJJ players all over the world continue to revolutionize the...

Conor McGregor was featured on “The Exchange” yesterday. An energy filled and focused McGregor discussed everything from the birth of his son to Muhamad Ali’s daughter comparing McGregor to her father. There was deep sense of determination and fire in his words, and...

It is always said that jiu-jitsu is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes lots of time, lots of dedication, and lots of perseverance to stick with it over the years. There are many times where doubt and frustration will work it's way...

Reframe How You Think About Common Challenge The plateau effect is a naturally occurring phenomenon exhibited in various forms of learning, be it conscious or subconscious. The effect is regularly experienced among those who partake in sports or exercise. Although virtually all people...

Make BJJ Part of Your Life Going Forward Many times a new kid walks through the door of the BJJ gym I call home. When I say kid I mean kid…11-14 years old! Oh how amazing it would have been to start BJJ...

Let this up and coming black belt change your game! We tend to not hear quite as much about some of the highest level up and coming competitors until they reach black belt. This is unfortunate because there is some serious talent among...

Guard sweeps and their interconnected submissions as well as guard passes were the foundation of my jiu-jitsu.  The importance of the collar grip from guard was drilled into my mind for every rep I would do, since day one.  When passing the guard,...

Face your take down fears and gain the benefits One of the most common fears of the first-time competitor is the take down game. Unless you were previously exposed to wrestling or some other form of take down art, the prospect of having...

It’s that time again. Class is over, the mat is open, and we’re scanning for partners to continue our training with. The live training portion of our BJJ session is always something we look forward to. It may give us a little anxiety...

Get the edge with the lateral revolution! The addition of takedowns to your BJJ training can be one of the most beneficial things you can incorporate.  For the most part, unless your opponents have a wrestling, judo, or perhaps sambo background, chances are...

Being a teenager is tough, especially in this day and age. Your body is going through mental,  physical, and emotional changes. You are trying to figure out who/what you are going to be as an adult. You are trying to make friends, and...

Some days are harder than others to 'get it'. Did you ever leave the mats and think…Well I’m not sure I did much of anything right tonight?  That was my night to a tee. The technique we were working  didn’t seem very difficult...

What is your learning style? We hear this all the time. BJJ is for everyone. Have you every stopped and asked the question why that is? There are a plethora of answers for this question, but for me the best answer lies in...