The heel hook…the word heel hook is honestly one of the most feared leg attack techniques in all of grappling. It is feared because of the insane amount of damage it can cause. It is a tendon tearing, ligament obliterating, knee destroying submission. While it has always been respected, the last few years of high […]

If you are a BJJ competitor that has a love for Judo throws and take downs, then the ouchi gari is a technique that you’ve probably come across at some point. It is an awesome leg hooking/trapping take down that will allow you to get the top position on your opponent almost every time. But […]

This past Sunday at the Eddie Bravo Invitational, DDS (Danaher Death Squad) member, Gordon Ryan took home yet another EBI championship belt. While it was no surprise that Ryan would win the tournament, what was surprising was that Gordon used none of the leg attack techniques that DDS members are known for. Instead he used […]

The upa escape. The upa escape is the first mount escape that any white belt should learn. It is a completely fundamental escape that allows its user to get out of a horrible position and go into his opponent’s guard to work a pass. The thing is, when first learning the upa, you might be […]

The turtle position…I talk a lot about how to attack someone who is using the position, but I do not get a chance to talk about the attacks you have from there. While there aren’t as many ways of attacking from the turtle, the attacks you can use to defend from it can be pretty […]

While there are many great open guards in Jiu Jitsu, one of the most popular seems to be the De La Riva guard. The DLR guard offers some awesome guard sweeps. If you’re a person that loves to play the top game, but find yourself having trouble taking people down, the De La Riva guard […]

The baseball bat choke…how I can go on and on about the baseball bat choke. It is probably the single most versatile choke in all of Jiu Jitsu. You can literally hit the choke from almost any position. Half guard, knee on belly, side control and even while standing up. But did you know that […]

Anybody who watches the IBJFF black belt divisions knows Bernardo Faria. They also know his awesome, pressure style of passing that he uses to dominate his opponents. His signature pass is the over-under pass. He uses it to pass even the toughest of guards. For the longest time, it was thought that the over-under pass […]

Time and time again, I’ve said it…the arm drag is single handedly the most important tool in all of grappling. Whether it be Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling or Judo, the arm drag opens up a lot of opportunities for those that use it. Why it works in the stand up phase of grappling, is because […]

Do you constantly get beat by people using the De La Riva guard? Are you being swept over and over, while trying to pass? Well, you might be over-looking one of the best options to beat the DLR guard. That option is to submit. The majority of the time, people spend a lot of energy […]

The knee on belly position is one of my favorite positions in Jiu Jitsu. It is often referred to as the ego killer, as anybody who thinks they are a tough guy, becomes weak when you dig your shin into his gut. It is an uncomfortable position that gives its user an awesome set of […]

The north-south position can be a difficult nut to crack. Nobody ever just accidentally ends up there. Usually someone will get caught there due to a scramble, or possibly from a good, strong guard pass. But one thing is for sure. You do not want to end up there. If you stay there, because you […]

The triangle choke. You see it everywhere. You will see it used at IBJJF events, EBI, and even in the UFC. It does not matter what rule set is used or if there are gi’s or not, if grappling is allowed then the triangle choke will show up. The triangle is one of the most […]

So…you have finally decided to work on your half guard. You see some of the absolute baddest dudes in Jiu Jitsu with killer half guards. Bernardo Faria, Jeff Glover and Lucas Leite all use the half guard to its best potential. And honestly, it shows. The question then comes to mind, how can you improve […]

Sometimes it is best to go back to the basics. It can rejuvenate your game, since as you move up in experience/belts, your game expands. One of the basics techniques you can always revisit is the back step pass. The back step pass is an old school, basic yet effective way of passing the half […]