When it comes to passing the guard, you can never have too many options.  I would also argue that there is no such thing as too controlling when you are working to pass someone’s guard.  It is incredible how different it can be...

  Wristlocks have that stigma. You know what I’m talking about. The leg lock carried the same burden for much of its time and unfortunately it still does to some degree. People tend to think it’s a cheap way to win or don’t...

Inevitably, at some point in your training career, and likely multiple times throughout your training, you will find positions you love, and positions you hate.  It’s only natural to gravitate towards positions that fit your body type and your style best and steer...

On Losing... As a society, we don’t like losing.  We exaggerate any loss—however insignificant—as a monumental disaster.  But losing can teach us much more than winning. The trouble is, losing feels so awfully lonely.   At a competition, the winners all gather together on...

We spend a lot of time in training talking about techniques, whether it be submissions, or escapes or whatever the case may be.  What It seems does not get as much attention is drilling. To be more specific, drilling one slice of a...

Where guard passing is concerned, the headquarters position has become a familiar hub of many passing progressions. I was first introduced to the headquarters position in early Rafael Lovato Jr. instructionals. Lovato added significant value to passing games all over the world with...

  In 2017, Craig Jones made his name him on the internationally grappling scene and become feared for his leg lock attacks. Now in 2019, his mentor Lachlan Giles made a legendary run in the ADCC absolute division, heel hooking giants like Kaynan...

  We engage in hard training sessions. We strength train regularly. We’re doing our best to turn ourselves into the ultimate grappling machines and we’re abusing our bodies in the process. This constant stress and workload were placing on our bodies can be...

Wrist locks are perhaps the most ignored submission option in Jiu jitsu right now. Why? Similar to how leg locks were historically viewed as a “dirty move” for a long time, wrist locks have a similar reputation. Thus, they were rarely taught in...

  The old saying in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is “position before submission,” but sometimes it’s hard to get to that submission.  Heck, sometimes, it’s hard to even see the submission from the position. If this is your struggle, too, Tom DeBlass is here...

The chatter has not ceased… Lachlan Giles is still one of the most talked about competitors from ADCC 2019. Coming off of an absolutely jaw dropping performance, Giles managed to slay three giants of the sport in the absolute division at ADCC. This...

  The first emotion that most new practitioners feel when confronted with the long mat and the opening warm-ups is bewilderment. You want me to do what my body? Shrimping? Pummeling with my legs in what directions? Invert so that my feet and...

  The D’arce, anaconda choke, and arm in guillotine are all birds of a feather. These chokes are able to be put together seamlessly to create an incredibly powerful onslaught on the neck. If you’re pursuing one, there’s certainly the others hiding in...

What can we really say about guard passing?  It’s fundamental… refusing to recognize this, and dedicate the appropriate attention to not only guard retention for your game, but guard passing is well, suicide.  We must give guard passing the attention it deserves.  It...

When you are learning new techniques that are similar to other techniques it’s easy to sometimes get them confused.  There are so many names for these techniques and sometimes it seems like it is one thing but in reality, because of a simple...