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...

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...

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...

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...

The study of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has to be one of the most dynamic and challenging endeavors anyone can undertake.   Few activities require the amount of consistent dedication from both a physical and mental standpoint.  The average person today who starts BJJ...

For the most part, closed guard is the first guard you learn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the last one you will master.  Everybody remembers their first bjj class, most of them include an introduction to what guard is by demonstrating closed guard,...

The ability to pass an opponent or training partner's guard is something every practitioner starts to think about from the very first time they are placed in their partner's closed guard during their first intro class.  In those early days, our thoughts are...

 In the world of frustrating positions, being caught in North/South by a strong, knowledgeable opponent or training partner can be one of the most deadly positions you can find yourself in.  It's bad in so many ways.  First off you're flat on the...

For many of us jiu jitsu practitioners, BJJ becomes so much more than a hobby or a workout.  It can become an obsession.  We think about it in the morning as we are waiting for our coffee to finish brewing, driving to work...

Pressure passing is one of the best ways to deal with a tricky guard player.  Pressure passing has a common misconception of being a strength application.  Many bjj practitioners also assume that pressure passing is utilized more by heavier people. That is simple...

The history and development of jiu jitsu can have some very interesting parallels to one's personal development.  In the beginning, most beginners are exposed to closed guard and the submissions and sweeps that can be initiated from this fundamental position.  As we begin...

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 […]

For people who like to mainly play some type of guard style for their game, retention is important. At some point in your training or competition, you will get your guard passed. But if you know the tips for guard retention, having your guard passed will become less of a possibility. It doesn’t matter if […]

Bernardo Faria is a champion of many talents in Jiu Jitsu. His deep half and z guard games are well known in the Jiu Jitsu community as his dominating style of pressure passing. But what people forget about the multiple time BJJ champion is that he also has a world class closed guard as well. […]

One of the most effective positions in jiu jitsu is the full/closed guard.  The level of control that the guard player is able to exert over their opponent is nearly unparalleled.  It stands to reason then that the arm bar from guard is considered by many one of the most effective submissions. At first glance […]