People that train exclusively in the gi can become pretty excellent guard passers. But when those same people come over to the no gi world, those same awesome guard passers find out how difficult in can be to pass the guard when you lose to the kimono, pant and belt grips. While many of the […]

Despite what your opinions or beliefs are in the Jiu Jitsu community, leg locks are here to stay. While they have  not made a huge impact in the world of gi competition and with the IBJJF, they have made a clear statement in the world of no gi. Especially with the submission only scene becoming […]

The truck is one of the most dynamic positions in Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system. Originally plucked from wrestling, it has found its way into the Jiu Jitsu world, particularly in the no gi world. At the high level of the art, guys like Geo Martinez and Garry Tonon are two that use […]

The triangle choke is one of the most reliable and high percentage submissions there is in all of Jiu Jitsu. While the choke is a strong one, there are a few different escapes we can go to, to escape it and not be finished by it. One of my preferred escapes to the triangle choke […]

The dead orchard is one of my favorite positions of the new school of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Created by 10th Planet black belt, Nathan Orchard, the position is a super controlling position that gives the user a lot of submission options. This past weekend, I entered a local submission only tournament and used the dead […]

Rashguards to a no gi grappler is similar to how a superhero wears his costume. They are an integral part of our training. There are a plethora of options when it comes to them as well. Different companies, different designs, and of course, the different sleeve lengths. Sleeve lengths might seem trivial, but it is […]

Royce Gracie black belt, Matt Arroyo is not only a great competitor but also a great teacher. Matt has shown time and time again that is he a super knowledgeable about the many facets of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. From the advanced techniques all the way to the basic fundamentals, he has some fantastic details on […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]