What is your go to safe position?  For me I find I go to turtle a lot when I feel like I need to get away.  I will typically go to turtle and then sit back to guard or half guard or whatever...

Passing closed guard represents one of the biggest challenges in jiu-jitsu. It’s difficult, exhausting, and the passer is under constant threat of attack just trying to break the guard open. In a competition setting where time is limited, you don’t want to waste...

Remember back in the beginning days when guard was simple?  When we first started training and coach said get in his guard, we knew it meant closed guard because that was the only guard we knew at the time.  As we started to...

Have you ever tried breaking a judoka’s grip on your collar? It’s hard, like their forearms are just made of steel and their fingers just refuse to let go. That strength comes from practice after practice of actively fighting just to get a...

When it comes to finishing the armbar, we can go pretty deep. There are many different layers of how to properly obtain, secure and finish an armbar. The methods may vary, but there are some principles that can’t be ignored if you hope...

This is our second installment of our new Jiu Jitsu Motivation Docu-Series "I Am A BJJ Fanatic." BJJ Fanatics in conjunction with Low Cut Films offers a 5 minute look into the mind and training of Olympic Silver Medalist and John Danaher Black...

Being able to control where the fight takes place is one of the most essential skills in martial arts. Judo is one of the most dominant martial arts on the planet when it comes to securing takedowns, especially with the gi. That, said...

People tend to get bent out of shape about the lesser known submissions in BJJ. It seems for the longest time leg locks were even treated as some mystical improper method of claiming a submission. Why do these submissions get such a bad...

Standing up to pass is a favorable method of defeating the guard for many and it definitely has its benefits. With gravity on your side you may find it easier to stay ahead of the bottom player, or perhaps you like the mobility...

There’s no shortage of options in the front headlock position. We seem to find ourselves here more than often. Maybe a failed shot attempt brought you here, a good snap down, or quite possibly you’ve arrived during a transitional period in a match....

Escaping side control is another classic foundational concept of BJJ. It can’t be skipped. You will inevitably end up there. Being on the bottom, when someone understands where to put their weight can be incredibly uncomfortable, and it may feel like your underneath...

Takedowns! Maybe the strongest part of your game if you have prior wrestling or judo experience. Or quite possibly the bane of your existence if you don’t. Choosing from the thousands of options to take our partner down at the beginning of a...

There’s no shortage of troubles that we experience while trying to pass the closed guard. When we’re on top and the action funnels us into the closed guard, there seems to be an immediate halt to activity. Once the bottom player begins trying...

Multiple Time Judo Olympian Gets You Unstuck Fast Being stuck in a strong, stubborn player's closed guard can be one of the most frustrating places to be in all of the possible positions you can be in because for every move you make,...

Closed guard is one of the most basic and fundamental jiu jitsu guards that every martial artist knows, and every fighter must have an answer for. Still, for so many BJJ players, it ends up evolving into a position to hold and recover...