Ideas on explaining Jiu Jitsu... What is the best way to explain Jiu Jitsu to those who don’t train? This is something that I have struggled with since the beginning of my time on the mats. One route is to start with Royce...

Exploring the benefits of the Jiu Jitsu warm up… Gyms and instructors have their own unique way of warming up. Like a ritual that the tribe must engage in before the tribe can begin the celebration of violence. Some gyms go the strength...

Exploring the battle with ego on the mats... The mats provide many lessons in life. Some lessons are obvious;keep your elbows close and manage space. Some lessons are subtle;ideas that we inherently know but can barely articulate. Some lessons we relearn...

Exploring the Strategic Component of Setting up Submissions… In Jiu Jitsu, learning technique is only one facet of the game.  Beyond technique, the strategy of how you set up a submission is paramount.  Just as in boxing, the mechanics of a hook or...

Exploring CBD for the Jiu Jitsu Practitioner... Jiu Jitsu athletes are always seeking new ways to improve their recovery. One trend that has recently found its way into the community is Cannabidiol or CBD. CBD is a naturally occurring cannabis compound that is...

Applying the Lessons from Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers to Jiu Jitsu... Everyone in Jiu Jitsu may have a different journey, goals and reasons for training. Some of us never aspire to compete in the UFC, EBI or ADCC. However, we all are united by...

If you train Brazilian JiuJitsu there may be a variety of reasons why. From learning self defense, physical improvement, mental health, or perhaps social reasons. All of the before mentioned reasons to train BJJ are all potential benefits of training in the "gentle...

By now, many of us have seen the controversial ending to the Kasai 4 Pro bout between Renato Canuto and Vagner Rocha. It was a high-paced, back-and-forth, action-packed match (as predicted), and Canuto gritted out a victory by points, 3-0. He was able to...

Let Tom DeBlass Simplify Your Triangle Set Up Fresh off of coordinating and running  the largest North American Trials event ever and cornering his first black belt Garry Tonon to his third MMA victory in the One Fighting Championships in Singapore, New Jersey...

Want to know the secret to getting good really quickly? Fail. A lot. Now I'm not saying to go out and get beat up every time you put yourself on the mat. Or am I? Ego is the enemy of good jiu-jitsu.  If...

Ideas on the historic anniversary... Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the UFC. It was a historic day for both the promotion and the sport. For many in the grappling community, it served as another anniversary. It is the day that we were...

Should Max Holloway be Conor McGregor's next fight? Max Holloway should be the next fight for Conor McGregor.  Conor is fresh off a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov. While Khabib’s next fight seems obvious in Tony Ferguson, Conor’s next fight is not as clear....

Exploring the float tank trend in Jiu Jitsu… Float tanks, also known as isolation tanks or sensory deprivation tanks have been the recent trend in Jiu Jitsu. They bring to mind the recovery baths the brotherhood would take in the movie Wanted. In...

    What do we drill? Anyone that trains must remember the first time we stepped foot on the mats. That’s where all these questions started. How to I tie my belt? Where do I stand? I’m not sure how to do the school warmup?...

Be Kind, But Protect Yourself, And Each Other We all need to roll to improve our jiu-jitsu. You must put yourself in real life positions to work on your game, find holes in what you need to work on, and get a good...