If you are coming to this site, chances are you have heard the legend of how John Danaher became interested in leg locks. The story goes that Dean Lister was visiting the Renzo Gracie Academy in NYC. After seeing Lister submit his...

Get the submission quick and easy with “Dean Lister’s Calf Slicer From Half Mount” Having the ability to pass the guard smoothly and quickly is something that we are always working on and continuing to develop.  There will be times along the way...

The short answer is Yes!  The longer answer is Yes, but . . .  As with many things context is incredibly important and self protection is no different. If we look at the history of Jujutsu (as it was called in 1800’s Japan)...

The calf slicer is one of those black sheep submissions that we don’t talk about enough. This incredibly painful and effective technique can seemingly come out of nowhere to cause a large amount of discomfort ultimately leading to a tap or a reaction...

The more we train the more we learn obviously, and as we begin to develop our game, a key component of that is to spend more time training with more difficult opponent’s.  If as you progress to blue belt you only train with...

What is the best way to escape a bar fight or a street fight?   The first solution is to not get in one in the first place, however that isn’t always possible.  One of the most common attacks from behind is for someone...

As if it isn’t hard enough to guard against kimuras, now—thanks to Dean Lister—we need to look out for reverse kimuras, too!  Sheesh! But, on the bright side, the reverse kimura is a sneaky little attack that your opponent might not be expecting....

As leg locks have swept the competition scene the last several years, many jiu-jitsu players have become enamored with the heel hook. It’s fast, it looks impressive, and many times opponents tap early out of fear of knee damage. Because of this many...

If you have just entered into Jiu-Jitsu you are probably far more familiar with the leg lock game than people were 15 years ago. Even some veterans of Jiu-Jitsu completely ignored leg locks because they didn’t believe in them, or thought they were...

The armbar. One of the most classic fundamental submission in BJJ. Its one of the OG’s.  Cemented in history as one of most important techniques in the history of combat, the armbar takes on may forms and can be applied to numerous settings....

Dean Lister has had and continues to have an illustrious career in a variety of combat genres, from wrestling, to sambo, to jiu jitsu and submission grappling, along with mixed martial arts fighting in some of the most prestigious organizations like Pride and...

Check Out These 4 Techniques From ADCC Champion Dean Lister! Dean Lister is a pioneer in the world of jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts. Lister is one of the earliest leg lock experts responsible for a rise in popularity of attacking the...

How To Surprise and Submit Your Opponents On the Mat. Even Younger, Stronger, Faster &Higher Ranked Beasts Dean Lister burst onto the mats with a high level knowledge of lower body submissions nearly two decades ago, using his knowledge of submissions to...

Demoralize Your Opponent With These 3 Toe Holds The toe hold is a very popular leg lock submission in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Typically the attack will hold the ankle of their opponent using a kimura grip to control the foot, specifically by gripping...

The Inescapable Toe Hold From De La Riva by Dean Lister When it comes to modern Brazilain Jiu Jitsu, foot locks are all the craze. High level competitors like Garry Tonon, Eddie Cummings, John Danaher, Gordon Ryan, and of course, Dean Lister are...