In the competitive grappling and mixed martial arts world, few coaches are as sought after as John Danaher, a Renzo Gracie black belt and long-time instructor at Renzo's Manhattan headquarters.  The list of athletes under Professor Danaher's tutelage include MMA superstars like former...

Controlling the hips is paramount in so many aspects of bjj.  You need to control the hips to maintain side control, back position, mount, and to play guard or pass your opponent’s guard.  Controlling the hips and moving your hips may be the...

A fundamental concept of jiu jitsu is efficiency.  By using leverage, the techniques of BJJ allow us to use the minimum amount of strength and effort for maximum benefit.  It is important to also apply this idea of efficiency to how one develops...

Leg locks are quickly becoming extremely popular throughout the Jiu Jitsu community.  With the revolution in sub only tournaments leg locks have increased in popularity.  They are an effective tool in gi, nogi, and MMA.  We wrote an article, “Leg Locks Overview” discussing...

There is an insidious sickness that plagues the jiu jitsu mats.  Left unchecked, this plague could wipe out jiu jitsu as we know it.  The disease I'm referring to is the tendency of teammates and training partners to stop training after they earn...

The kimura is often perceived as a submission.  As you progress on your Jiu Jitsu journey, you should learn the benefits and versatility of the kimura not as a submission, but as a position.  Yes, the kimura is a submission but is also...

“That’s not jiu-jitsu…”  I’ll never forget when I returned to the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after a long hiatus and tried to apply “old school” techniques that I had learned in the late 90s and early 2000s.  Techniques that my father applied...

Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister has built a career being one of the most feared grapplers on the planet.  As one of the pioneers of the American leg submission game, he helped pave the way for the current crop of leg attack specialists who...

Everybody and their grandmother knows what a triangle choke is nowadays with the popularity and proliference of MMA.  Ask anyone you know what a triangle choke is and they may not be able to execute it, but they can probably describe it to...

Rodrigo Cavaca is a multiple time world champion who leads the Zenith BJJ organization with Robert Drysdale.  As a competitor in his 30's he has made it his business to face off with a who's who of grappling phenoms, many of which are younger...

The half guard is one of the most popular guards in bjj and MMA.  Learning how to deal with the half guard is imperative for progression in bjj.  Half guard is one of the first guards that is taught when starting Brazilian Jiu...

The half guard is one of the first guards you learn.  The half guard may be the simplest and most effective guard in bjj.  It is one of the best guards for smaller guys to sweep their opponents or for bigger guys to...

Jimmy Pedro is one of the most decorated judo competitors and coaches in American history.  He has coached American Judo luminaries like Kayla Harrison, two time Olympic gold medalist, Travis Stevens, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist and also UFC veteran Ronda Rousey.  ...

Jiu jitsu practitioners can be a very fickle group of individuals.  Throughout the history of the art certain techniques have been marginalized or at worst demonized for a variety of reasons.  The study of leg attacks and foot submissions has been rapidly gaining...

Escapes are one of the most essential components to a well-rounded bjj game.  In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu it is very common to overlook the benefits of good escapes.  In order to develop an aggressive and confident offense, you need to be confident in...