The crucifix is one of those positions that, although isn’t used very often, is still very powerful in regards to control and submissions. The crucifix requires the attacker to acquire control of the defender’s arms with his entire body so that one arm...

 Masters Level Black Belt Wins Adult Roosterweight Gold Not everyone who puts on a Gi or steps on BJJ training mats will achieve their black belt.  Not everyone who signs up at their local jiu jitsu academy will ever compete.  Very few who...

The various necktie submissions have a bit of mystique to them. Maybe it’s the names, or perhaps how brutal they are. I remember being submitted in competition with a Japanese necktie, and feeling that if I didn’t tap, my neck was literally going...

No this isn’t some sort of anti-turtle PSA. We love animals. However in Jiu-Jitsu an opponent with a strong turtle defense becomes very frustrating to score on. It can be used to thwart passes, sweep, and even submit! Looking at you Eduardo Telles!...

Learn from Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii The Ouchi Gari is a staple technique for many Judoka, but is also a strong technique for Jiu-Jitsu players. The technique is best pulled off against an opponent with a heavy base. If you watch some...

If you’ve done Jiu-Jitsu for a decent amount of time you can probably easily identify areas of your game that needs improvement. After even more time you should come to realize that if you are putting worthwhile effort on the mat you will...

  The back position is already hard enough to escape, but when someone locks on that body triangle, it can feel like death. The body triangle from back is as the name suggests, the person who has someone’s back taken locks up their...

The guillotine is one of the oldest submissions in the book and should be so, it is an extremely powerful strangle that works well at every level in Jiu Jitsu. The guillotine also has many different variants, each with its on benefits and...

The granby roll is a very common technique used in Jiu Jitsu to escape a wide variety of positions. Because the granby roll requires a little inversion, many grapplers, especially larger or older ones, avoid it due to the fear that they won’t...

Of the different forms of open guard used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, spider guard and lasso guard are two of the toughest ones to defend and pass from. Although some grapplers consider spider guard and lasso guard to be two different guards, they...

I come from a gym where knee on belly is a very popular position, and rightly so. Knee on belly combines elements of side control and mount while providing a little more power using the position of the knee of the stomach. For...

Deep half guard was one of the most popular positions in Jiu Jitsu a few years ago, and then everyone learned, kind of like how leg locks are. This was for good reason, though, the deep half guard was and still is one...

The kimura, one of the oldest and best submissions used in grappling. When compared to other shoulder locks such as the omoplata and Americana, the kimura is obviously superior. The power of the kimura combined with its versatility lends to its great efficacy...

Although the most effective leg lock, the heel hook, is not legal in every competition, the knee bar generally is allowed. The knee bar, just like the arm bar, is a submission that involves hyperextension. By hyperextending the leg about the knee joint,...

The turtle position may seem like a bad idea for many grapplers, however, lots of high level grapplers are able to defend from the turtle position very well and even use it for attacks. Often times people will use turtle as a means...