Lasso guard is a technique that often starts being introduced once you have reached your blue belt and are already comfortable with the more fundamental guards, such as closed, open and half guard. The set up is from your back, usually with your...

Learning precise finishing details early on in your grappling career will pay dividends later, in the training room and on the competition mats. You will have more confidence in going for the finish and a deeper mechanical understanding. This series will examine what...

  Although he didn’t get to utilize his fan favorite strangle from the back, Nick Rodriguez showed plenty of mat awareness and poise on his way to defeating Ben Dyson. Rodriguez has been full steam ahead in 2019. Just recently he was an...

I’m not the kind of person who willingly embraces blanket statements.  When I hear one of these unilateral claims, I tend to quietly start a fact-check in my mind to test the durability of that statement. But as I continue on my own...

Labor day is upon us, signaling the end of summer to a lot of people, and we enter the time of year between pool parties and cookouts and holiday celebrations. If you need something to look forward to this month, get ready for...

Chad Lyman is one of those rare individuals who focuses upon both competition and self-defense.  Lyman is a BJJ black belt and is the lead BJJ coach at Xtreme Couture MMA in Vegas.  He has also served in various positions in law enforcement....

The mount. The concepts may come easy to some, but the mount has always been a dark spot in my game. It seems that for me, getting there isn’t an enormous problem, but maintenance and attacking is where I fall short. When we...

For years the 50/50 has been a rough spot in my game. I spent some time initially on how to exit the position and defend it, which served me for a while until I began to run in to more proficient leg attackers...

I remember my first night on the mat and I can recall my first training partner that evening. The vibe of the entire session is still very clear in my mind, and in those very first moments of training, I felt what Jiu-Jitsu...

  Edwin Najmi has found a way to keep busy with the lead up to ADCC, and not with an easy tune up match! Najmi will be taking on Mansher Khera for the Welterweight Polaris title. Polaris is a professional grappling event that...

  Alec has been steadily building steam on both the Jiu-Jitsu circuit, but also online with his ever-growing YouTube Channel.  So if you are looking for consistent, digestible, and TOP NOTCH instruction from an athlete heading FULL steam into ADCC 2019 his YouTube...

Roberto Jimenez has yet again proved that he is one of the most talented and worthy up and comers in BJJ with his performance at this past weekend’s Vegas Open. Jiminez brought home 4 gold medals finishing all of his fights and with...

The short answer is Yes!. The reasons as to why Pressure Passing may be an effective type of passing for you will vary, but in general EVERYONE can play some form of pressure passing. For those not in the know, Pressure Passing is...

Perhaps it’s because I’m an older fellow, but I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with hero worship.  I guess I’ve lived long enough to realize that some of my own heroes have feet of clay;therefore, I tend to view people as just that: people—with...

  An answer for the seated guard could come in many forms. Whether you choose to pass standing or kneeling, the options are many. We do have to be careful with how we approach the position though. A good seated or open guard...