Live rolling is one of those elements that make Jiu Jitsu unique among the martial arts.  It gives us an opportunity to put our skills to work in a setting that is more realistic than when we simply drill. But what do...

One of the weirdest positions that grappler can use in Jiu Jitsu is the butterfly guard. This position is often weird for both the guard player and guard passer. Although the butterfly guard has been around for a long time, not many of...

Reverse de la riva is a common guard use in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, especially in the no-gi format, where open guards are not as effective as they would be in the gi. The name reverse de la riva comes from the fact that...

Yeah, another article about the berimbolo. Instead of talking about whether the berimbolo works or not, I want to discuss an option you can use from open guard that is related to the berimbolo that any grappler of any size or skill level...

An element of Jiu Jitsu that keeps most students attending day after day is the development and practice of new techniques. If you watch high level Jiu Jitsu matches from the nineties and early two thousand, you will see a lot of closed...

New students approach Jiu Jitsu in many different ways. Some students quickly become obsessed with Jiu Jitsu and attend every class possible and try to roll with everyone. Other students are more inhibited and even fearful and need motivation and support from existing...

Sport Jiu Jitsu, or self defense Jiu Jitsu.  Is there a difference? What is the difference.  Is it possible to blend the two into unified method that will be likely to work in a sport or self defense situation?   The short answer is...

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of being stuck in a good lockdown, you know it can be an arduous task to dismantle the position and get free. What’s worse, is someone who’s actually well versed in the systems of the lockdown. There...

The open guard in Jiu Jitsu is one of the most dynamic positions that a grappler can utilize. Personally, the creativity and complexity of the open guard is what drew me mostly to begin training Jiu Jitsu years ago. When compared to other...

At lower ranks, exposing your back by going to turtle to defend guard can be a bad option since one might not be skilled at staying tight and escaping back into a guard. However, we often see black belts turtle and get to...

One of the biggest struggles new students experience when beginning Jiu Jitsu is guard retention. Guard retention is the way grapplers can prevent their opponent from passing their legs and hips and ending up in a superior position such as side control, mount,...

Passing the guard of a skilled Jiu Jitsu grappler is one of the most frustrating things ever. In last year’s World No Gi championship, we saw Yuri Simoes try to pass Gordon Ryan’s guard for nearly the entire match, with each time getting...

Is catch wrestling the secret weapon to taking your Jiu Jitsu game to the next level, giving your opponent’s in the gym and in competition no chance because you have learned the secret weapon from one of the most savage coaches in the...

The primary element of Jiu Jitsu that attracted me to start training is the mental complexity of the sport. Watching a high level match is both like watching a high level wrestling matching and a game of Texas Holdem’ at the same time....

The kneebar, the cousin submission of the armbar, is one of the oldest and most powerful leg locks used in different types of grappling. Furthermore, its one of the more widely accepted leg submissions and does not carry the stigma that heel hooks...