Travis Stevens is one of the most badass dudes in modern grappling today. He is a Judo black belt, Judo Olympian with a silver medal, and a BJJ black belt under John Danaher. Travis has also competed in NAGA, Grappler’s Quest and Copa Podio. He has a very well rounded game. Chokes, leg locks, throws […]

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 […]

One of the new school positions that I am a big fan of is the dead orchard. It was created by Eddie Bravo black belt, Nathan Orchard. If you haven’t seen it, it is quite the tight position to achieve. It essentially is a triangle choke with both of the opponent’s arms in, with one […]

Just a little earlier this year, the Grand Slam Rio tournament was one to watch. Some of the best in the world were competing. While some talented black belts were competing, everyone had a feeling that it would come down to two of the world’s best practitioners in the 94KG category.  And those two black […]

Before the horrible Reebok deal came to fruition in the UFC, all the fighters had ways of showing their own identity and style. And they were able to do that through their MMA shorts. No one wore the exact same shorts, and it was cool to see how our favorite fighters wanted to fight in […]

When it comes to Judo in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Claudio Calasans should be someone that pops into your mind right away. Calasans, a Judo black belt and a BJJ black belt, who trains out of the world famous Atos school has adapted his Judo greatly for BJJ competition. It is not an easy task, going […]

For many people, passing the closed guard in no gi is a difficult task. With the gi, you have so many handles and grips to use, that it is with a bit more ease to perform. But when the gi comes off, it is hard to get that guard  pass. You have to know the […]

As a BJJ practitioner, I have an affinity for Judo takedowns. Not that I do not enjoy or see the usefulness of Wrestling takedowns, but I have more experience with takedowns from the Judo arsenal. With all of the big and crowd pleasing throws, one of the takedowns I enjoy most is the ouchi gari. […]

The omoplata can be an awesome technique. Of course, it’s a shoulder cranking submission but it also can be used to get some pretty easy sweeps. Unfortunately there are also easy defenses to the omoplata. Posturing up, rolling over the shoulder, and also stepping over are all ways that people defend the omoplata. But there […]

Mata leao, also known as the rear naked choke is probably the highest percentage finishing technique in all of Jiu Jitsu. No matter how big, bad or tough someone is, they all will fall to the rear naked choke sometime in their lives. Because it is a high percentage choke, you will need to know […]

The flower sweep is one that you will keep coming back to in your Jiu Jitsu journey. It is simple, yet highly effective. The fact that it can be done both gi or no gi just adds to that power that is the flower sweep. When it comes to the closed guard, this is one […]

I am a huge proponent of rashguards. Rashguards are essential if you are a no gi grappler, and can also benefit you even if you wear it underneath a gi. Much like spats, they provide a lot of the same advantages, due to the fact that it is a piece of compression gear. Why should […]

One of the great passes in BJJ that you can learn is the leg drag pass. When done correctly, it is a pass that will put pressure on your opponent and let you have total and tight control. The leg drag also allows for some interesting options such as back takes, and some submissions. But […]

Spats are something you see in almost every Jiu Jitsu school or MMA gym. They are primarily worn by grapplers. They can be worn by themselves, underneath fight shorts or under gi pants. Besides looking pretty cool, they serve actual functional purposes. That’s right. They are not just another piece of gear to get just […]

Jimmy Pedro is one of the best Judoka’s that the United States has ever produced. Currently a sixth degree black belt in Judo, he is a former Olympian who has taken the bronze twice at the Olympic Games. He is also a three time World Judo medalist, taking home gold one of those three times. […]