Anyone that has participated in Jiu Jitsu, whether for recreation or competitively, has experienced the importance of guard retention. The ability to prevent your opponent from passing your guard and getting into a position to secure a submission or pin is a crucial...

Did you watch the BJJ Fanatics Brown belt tournament?! Last night we were able to watch some amazing talent on the mats in multiple nogi matches without any black belts in the mix. Gordon Ryan was the guest commentator and did a great...

  I will admit that the one position that never made any sense to me was the Butterfly Guard. I simply saw it as an imaginary position that might only happen if the match started on our knees, but even then, it seemed...

There is a lot that goes into a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training session in order for it to go smoothly. There are the materials on you, such as the Gi (or rashguard, spatz etc) and the belt, you can argue for the inclusion...

When you think about building your game, specifically your guard game, what do you think of?  Do you immediately think about your closed guard and how you can improve it? Or maybe you like to use spider guard, or something else.  Generally speaking...

Improving in Jiu Jitsu takes a lot of practice and dedication, but it really boils down to a relatively simple concept of learning fundamentals. This is generally referred to as foundationalism, which is a concept that all jiu jitsu skills are based on...

When you arrive at the jiu-jitsu academy for the very first time, the senses become overloaded. We’re excited to learn and there’s so much to experience, we hardly know where to focus the bulk of our attention. As beginners its important to trust...

I remember my first night on the mat and I can recall my first training partner that evening. The vibe of the entire session is still very clear in my mind, and in those very first moments of training, I felt what Jiu-Jitsu...

The half guard is a favorite among many of the highest level BJJ practitioners of the world, but it’s also a go to for the average player as well. The half guard offers an enormous amount of connection to our opponents, boasting the...

  In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu few things are less sexy than the principles of guard retention. Like flossing your teeth, retaining your guard is absolutely necessary, but a boring hassle that always gets left until it is almost too late. I had a...

  Jiu Jitsu players have a lot in common with dogs.  In both cases, the more intimidating they appear, the friendlier they usually are. My pup is a burly boxer mix.  Even though she’s on a leash, people give her a wide berth...

Without a doubt, the Armbar from Guard is one of the first submissions every white belt learns—or, at least, attempts to learn. As with most techniques in Jiu Jitsu, it’s the wealth of small details that lead to success or failure with this...

When we start training we want to make sure we are doing everything by the book.  Learning all of the right techniques and executing them with flawless detail (white belt level flawless, let’s not be too critical).  It’s important to build a foundation...

Whether we’re speaking in terms of self defense or recreation jiu-jitsu, there may not be a more important theme then guard retention. The ability to recompose, maintain, and use your guard are among the most important skills in all of BJJ.  In a...

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,...