The open guard in Jiu Jitsu is one of the most dynamic positions that a grappler can utilize. Personally, the creativity and complexity of the open guard is what drew me mostly to begin training Jiu Jitsu years ago. When compared to other...

At lower ranks, exposing your back by going to turtle to defend guard can be a bad option since one might not be skilled at staying tight and escaping back into a guard. However, we often see black belts turtle and get to...

One of the biggest struggles new students experience when beginning Jiu Jitsu is guard retention. Guard retention is the way grapplers can prevent their opponent from passing their legs and hips and ending up in a superior position such as side control, mount,...

Passing the guard of a skilled Jiu Jitsu grappler is one of the most frustrating things ever. In last year’s World No Gi championship, we saw Yuri Simoes try to pass Gordon Ryan’s guard for nearly the entire match, with each time getting...

Understanding the Difference Between Motivation and Discipline is Key to Your Success The internet and social media are filled with motivation memes.  It's like you can't scroll through Facebook or Instagram without seeing photos of lions, mountains, and shirtless athletes with less than...

Is catch wrestling the secret weapon to taking your Jiu Jitsu game to the next level, giving your opponent’s in the gym and in competition no chance because you have learned the secret weapon from one of the most savage coaches in the...

The primary element of Jiu Jitsu that attracted me to start training is the mental complexity of the sport. Watching a high level match is both like watching a high level wrestling matching and a game of Texas Holdem’ at the same time....

The kneebar, the cousin submission of the armbar, is one of the oldest and most powerful leg locks used in different types of grappling. Furthermore, its one of the more widely accepted leg submissions and does not carry the stigma that heel hooks...

Getting past someone half guard can be a real challenge if you are not armed with the right techniques, and all of the little details that go into them.  Blended Jiu Jitsu and catch wrestling grappling games are becoming more and more common,...

What is the most important position in Jiu Jitsu?  Well, that’s a big question, right?! A big factor here is what positions are you most comfortable with?  The positions you train the most will likely be your go to positions. When choosing which...

Now more than ever the Butterfly Guard is coming back in a HUGE way. More and more we are seeing the position used at the highest levels of competition across ALL WEIGHT CLASSES. On top of that it’s use is prevalent across Gi,...

Are you a head hunter? Do you seem to always find guillotine’s everywhere you look when you are in live training or competition?  If you are not seeing them, you are missing out, they are there, they are everywhere. There are so many...

Could Your Mindset Be Standing In Your Way? The term "training plateau" is typically understood as the slowdown or leveling off of one's progress, improvement or gains.  The human body has an amazing ability to adapt to stress applied to it with the...

  “2 in or 2 out!”, everyone says. This is a common phrase when we talk about staying out of a triangle choke. But the fact is, you’re going to get caught. We all succumb to the triangle multiple times over the course...

Every jiu-jitsu journey is unique to the practitioner, and over the past 12 years I’ve learned a lot of lessons and absorbed a lot of information. I’ve acquired an invaluable skill set that can never be taken from me, and that can only...