What does it mean to finally level up to that first belt? So, you’ve finally got that crisp new blue belt tied around your waist. Congratulations! The color is vibrant and it juts out on either side resembling the antennas of a bizarre...

The internet lit up when Urijah Faber announced a late addition to his Team Alpha Male Quintet team for last week's Quintet 3 competition, namely Gordon Ryan.  Gordon lived up to global expectations with a dominating performance at the event, dominating the majority...

Is Yoga the perfect compliment to your BJJ?  If you have been doing jiu-jitsu, even for a short time, then I am sure that you have heard someone in your gym talk about practicing a little bit of yoga in addition to your...

Will Jones stay this time? A few days past, the UFC confirmed that Jon Jones will return to the UFC ring to fight Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 232 on December 29th. This announcement came soon after USADA set forth...

Is it smart to stay with UFC?  The aftermath of UFC 229 has raised suspicion into whether Khabib Nurmagomedov will continue his career with the UFC or move to other professional MMA organizations. UFC management has threatened to pursue legal ramifications against Khabib’s...

Quintet 3 showed us the power of this foot lock The De La Riva guard has become a staple method of controlling an opponent in open guard. The guard is more popular, however, in the gi due to the numerous grip types and...

Vagner Rocha added another accolade to his grappling career by defeating Augusto "Tanquinho" Mendes by unaminous decision last night at Fight 2 Win 89 in Miami.  Vagner is now the lightweight and the welterweight champion in Seth Daniel's Fight 2 Win Promotion. Get...

Seeing your peers promoted can be as important as seeing yourself Stripes, Promotions, Shout Outs! We all love them. We all want want them and sometimes we even expect them. When it’s your turn to level up or when you get accolades for...

Passing becomes a complex process with new guards It has become increasingly difficult  to pass the guard of a skill Jiu Jitsu player as a result of an extensive variety of techniques and guards the guard player can utilize. It is rare to...

The formula is simpler than you think. When we opened our BJJ academy, our very first slogan was “Show up. Train. Get Better”. We printed it on t-shirts, hoodies, and rash guards. We proudly wore them around the academy and in public, constantly...

Using this powerful position for more than leg attacks Lachlan Giles has been releasing some fantastic content lately. His instruction is easy to follow and he always seems to cover some of the most problematic themes in the BJJ game, giving insight into...

Goal Setting Exercise That Will Help You Achieve Your Goals Goal setting is one of the most important skills you can develop in life and jiu jitsu.  Without concrete goals and a plan to reach them, chances are you won't make it very...

In the latest edition of his wildly popular Move of the Week series, jiu jitsu renegade Kurt Osiander comes to us from his Empire Jiu Jitsu Academy in San Francisco to share a sweep and submission combo that you can easily add to...

Improve your BJJ Trickery Mastering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the most difficult tasks you will ever under take.  If you step back and think about what is actually happening when you are trying to execute a submission on an unwilling opponent...