I took my children to their swimming lesson a few days ago. We were all sitting on the bench waiting for their class to begin. One of the more experienced swim instructors was an older gentleman. It seemed he’d been a life guard...

The omoplata is a shoulder submission in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that, like many moves in the BJJ lexicon, has it's roots in other arts like judo and catch wrestling.  Named after the scapula or "blade bone" in Portuguese, the use of the technique...

Passing the guard is one of the most challenging aspects of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, especially when you're relatively new and treading the deep waters as a white belt.  Let's look at some very common guard passing mistakes that even higher belts can make...

Now that I'm in my mid-40's and been training BJJ consistently for almost 10 full years, I've come to accept the daily aches and pains associated with training.  There's an old joke that if you train BJJ and wake up one day and...

How can one instructional video series be so good?  People always wonder how John Danaher can be such a sought after instructor, they want to know what segregates him from the norm?  Well, John is simply put, is the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu...

Humans. We’re meant to move. We are hardwired with the need to survive. Which means hunting, gathering, walking long distances, fighting, lifting things, etc. We all have these inherent instincts within us. Hunting and gathering? Maybe it looks a little different nowadays. We’re...

The elements that make jiu jitsu so valuable for every person, make it absolutely indispensable for the law enforcement professionals out there.  Whether the casual practitioner came to learn self defense techniques or simply get in shape, there will always be additional benefits...

Firas Zahabi of Tristar gym in Montreal is one of the most sought after MMA coaches in the world.  Training the likes of Georges St. Pierre and Rory McDonald amongst a stable of other students, Zahabi's combat coaching experience is second to none. ...

Being small in bjj can pose a problem sometimes.  When your academy consists of a bunch of giants every roll can be exhausting, no matter how much your train, you still feel tired and you can never catch a break.  Every roll you...

These days with so much content available on the web we see people trying to emulate other peoples game all to often.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but there are better ways to improve your bjj.  Having access to all of...

Tom DeBlass is a multiple time ADCC competitor, having won the North American Trials on three different locations.  He is an IBJJF World Champion.  DeBlass also holds a 9-2 MMA record, having held titles in two different weight classes in the Ring of Combat...

A video surfaced recently of Rafa Mendes instructing at a seminar in Oregon. It’s an outstanding block of material. In the 8 minutes or so of footage Rafa explains in great detail, a very intelligent method of opening up the turtle position to...

These days, more and more we see people who are training bjj and neglecting self-defense.  There is nothing wrong with that, to each his own.  The problem lies in the fact that people may develop a false sense of security.  Self-defense is a...

Kettlebell training can be one of the smartest thing you add to your weekly training schedule to supplement your BJJ.  There are very few fitness tools that can leave your heart pounding and lungs burning, while hitting more muscles than you knew you...

The stack pass. Tried and true, this classic guard pass is one of the foundational pillars of passing in BJJ. Most likely you’ll be introduced to this technique early on in your practice. In the beginning we get exposed to so much passing...