I recently took a guided backpacking trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. It was incredibly beautiful, challenging, and provided one hell of a brain break. The scenery was breathtaking. We hiked close to 35 miles in just 3 days. We climbed...

The method of achieving a reversal with the insteps of our feet is one of the most common forms of sweeping our opponent we’ll ever encounter. It’s a very strong and significant concept in BJJ. When we’re looking for examples of this particular...

My first experiences with the turtle position were most often presented to me from a more defensive standpoint. Balling up and creating a tight impenetrable shell can definitely be a good way to fend off an aggressive attack and provide a few moments...

When it comes to the various forms that your opponents' and training partners' open guard can show you, none are as frustrating as the feeling of being stuck in a good Spider Guard players guard.  With two powerful grips on my sleeves and...

Having a well-rounded guard game is one of the most important skills you can develop in your training of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Tom DeBlass is fond of saying that having your guard passed should be looked at as a tragedy and should be...

We all have that favorite move.  The one that seemed to come easier than all of the others, that we find ourselves utilizing every time we roll, especially when we're tired and need to get ourselves out of danger.  Over time, through constant...

It’s always a pleasure to see a family training together on the mat. Learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu alongside your kin can be a very bonding and strengthening experience for a family. You get to enjoy the successes and achievements of BJJ together and see...

We've all been there, frantically rolling whether at a competition or even just your average open mat, and you find yourself caught in a submission you may or may not even have seen coming.  Or you've been stuck in bottom mount or side...

The inside heel hook. Is it the most devastating leg lock finisher in BJJ? If you don’t know the do’s and don’ts of escaping and when to concede to the infamous submission, it certainly can be. There’s something about the feel of the...

About 2 years ago I noticed It had started to become increasingly more difficult to get out of bed in the morning due to some wicked soreness in my hips and lower back. It would take me almost a half hour of hunched...

Just as I put my kids on the carousel last night at the local festival a fight broke out. I heard a loud crash and looked down to see 2 kids, maybe in their early 20’s, exchanging blows, and trying to get the...

The rear naked choke. The term transcends our art. Becoming almost a household name, there may not be a technique more familiar outside the realm of BJJ and MMA. Among the fighting arts, the RNC would certainly be deemed as a “classic.” Recently,...

As if jiu jitsu itself didn't take you far enough outside of your comfort level, there's another summit you can reach for and that is on the competition mats.  Competing in BJJ is one of the purest tests of not only your knowledge...

The kimura is a powerful shoulder submission that has roots in catch wrestling and judo, but became known as the kimura after a famous jiu jitsu match between Helio Gracie and Japanese fighter Masahiko Kimura who defeated Gracie in a legendary match where...

After rolling with one of the newer female white belts at our academy today, we had a few minutes to chat and I asked how she felt she's doing right now?  How was her confidence level?  Was she enjoying BJJ?  She is fairly...