KING GORDON KEEPS A GREAT ATTITUDE EVEN AFTER BEING INJURED...   If you have been training in a physical sport such as Brazilian JiuJitsu for any amount of time, you have undoubtedly been hurt or experienced some type of injury. Whether it was...

If you train enough eventually you’ll reach a point where you feel like you aren’t improving. This is a natural part of progression in BJJ. There is no substitute for showing up and putting in time on the mat. That said, with enough...

How To “Get Back On The Horse” In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or any grappling martial art, how do you get back on the proverbial horse after you have fallen off? It has happened to the best of us. An injury or life event...

Reflections on time spent training. Has anyone else noticed that some practitioners get strange when talking about their Jiu Jitsu age? Like a high school kid trying to buy beer, the math gets funny. The conversation usually goes something like this. “I have...

We all remember cramming before some big test in school, trying to make up for all the lost time spent doing something else. Sadly, for a lot of us, the promise of an upcoming belt promotion can lead us down that same road,...

Expansion On A Classic Position.... In early September, I attended a seminar led by Eli Knight as part of his ‘Bladed Grappler’ series.  All of the techniques involved the scenario of when an attacker has a knife. The majority of the material covered...

We all know what it is like to get paired up with bigger guys in the academy. When approaching a roll with someone who has a substantial amount of weight on you, it is important to have strategies in place. Typically bigger opponents...

For everyone that starts training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it becomes an instant goal to attain their blue belt. The blue belt has a mystique to most white belts. That is because blue belts are pretty darn competent at performing Jiu Jitsu. A question that I hear a lot is “what can do I to defeat […]

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 […]

If you know Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, then you know Felipe Pena. The Gracie Barra black belt has won almost every big tournament that matters in Jiu Jitsu. Most recently he has dethroned, “The King” Gordon Ryan in a submission only no gi match. Felipe is a master of open guards, passing and even foot locks. […]

Despite what your opinions or beliefs are in the Jiu Jitsu community, leg locks are here to stay. While they have  not made a huge impact in the world of gi competition and with the IBJJF, they have made a clear statement in the world of no gi. Especially with the submission only scene becoming […]

Rashguards to a no gi grappler is similar to how a superhero wears his costume. They are an integral part of our training. There are a plethora of options when it comes to them as well. Different companies, different designs, and of course, the different sleeve lengths. Sleeve lengths might seem trivial, but it is […]

Royce Gracie black belt, Matt Arroyo is not only a great competitor but also a great teacher. Matt has shown time and time again that is he a super knowledgeable about the many facets of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. From the advanced techniques all the way to the basic fundamentals, he has some fantastic details on […]

For those of you who check out the many articles on BJJ Fanatics, you have probably seen one of the pieces that I’ve written. In addition to writing, I am a BJJ purple belt who has competed in BJJ, Submission Wrestling (no gi), MMA, Kickboxing and Boxing. Out of everything, I have mainly competed in […]