Start your journey with ease... Getting started with jiu-jitsu training can be confusing. You may know you want to give it a shot (and this is GREAT!), but you may not know much more than that. What to wear. What to expect. How...

Half guard can be one of the best and worst places to start initiating a guard pass.  Some people have made a career from forcing half guard and smashing people from there.  This is a common method of passing by a lot of...

All to often we find ourselves attacking the turtle position and we are so adamant about getting to to the back that we overlook simple attacks.  One of these simple positions that we often over look is the crucifix.  The turtle position is...

Do you even pull guard?  Do you even pull guard from the knees?  Well, if you don’t, you should.  In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu we constantly see people who pull guard when they start standing, but if it is on the knees, we typically...

Closed guard can be one of the most difficult guards to pass.  Many people have an extremely hard time opening closed guard.  They either cannot open their opponent’s legs, or they are just not able to defend themselves.  Being in someone’s closed guard...

The closed guard has long been considered the foundation of the guard, there are several reasons that people perceive the closed guard as the foundation.  The closed guard is one of the most versatile positions, you can have success with it in both...

The baratoplata is one of the least popular and the most underrated submissions in bjj.  You may not have even heard of this position.  The barataoplata was invented by Rafael Freitas, a competitive Gracie Barra black belt but was quickly adapted by legends...

 No Gi? No problem, here at BJJ Fanatics we’ve got you covered for all of your BJJ needs.  Many people have a hard time transitioning from gi to no gi, but this should not be a problem.  Although there are very many differences...

Does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu still work for self-defense?  This is a question that is often asked among the bjj community.  People tend to believe that the day of bjj as a martial art and self-defense are long gone, but is this true?  Well,...

The guillotine is a powerful choke that can force one's opponent to tap as an air choke, a blood choke or a combination of the two.  No matter which, it is a very high percentage submission when applied properly.  The technique is often...

Today is Guillotine day here at BJJ Fanatics.  The Guillotine choke is an extremely popular submission in both Gi and NoGi.  It is one of the first submissions many people learn and one of the most effective.  There are a multitude of variations...

 Today we are going to take a look at some of our favorite submission videos on our YouTube channel and discuss why we really like them and what makes them so good.  If you did not know BJJ Fanatics has a YouTube channel...

Good technique is hard to come by, these days we all have access to so much technique videos that it can be overwhelming.  There is more content available than ever before.  You can find techniques on YouTube, membership based sites, online academies, DVD’s,...

We have all heard the expression that Jiu Jitsu is about the journey not the destination.  What does that actually mean?  When you first start training you can understand the statement but actually abide by it and use it as a philosophy for...

We are all familiar with many aspects of Jiu Jitsu but there are some benefits that are unspoken.  We know that Jiu Jitsu provides us with a sense of security; we know that it is an adequate form of self-defense, and we know...