It’s not easy.  It never has been, and likely never will be.   From the day you made the decision to start training there have likely been struggles.  Starting with walking into the academy the first day. Likely not knowing anyone, not knowing...

Most new students of Jiu Jitsu tend to ignore takedowns . . . until tournament time.   After all, it takes a lot of space to start every roll from a standing position, so there’s a lot of danger of collisions.  Plus, takedowns...

Being a World Champion in any major sport is a huge accomplishment. It takes time, dedication, and a lot of hard work to develop the skills necessary to perform at that level. What most people don't realize is that it also takes the...

This is our fourth installment of our new Jiu Jitsu Motivation Docu-Series "I Am A BJJ Fanatic." BJJ Fanatics in conjunction with Low Cut Films offers a look into the mind and training of Polish Superstar, Adam Wardzinski.Adam Wardzinski is one of the...

What? Strength Training for BJJ?    We have been instructed over and over and over:  1) Strength is bad for your BJJ game; 2) You don’t need strength to be a BJJ champion; 3) Strength will cause you to be bulky and inflexible; 4)...

When it comes to leg locks, no gi seems to come to mind. The leg lock began to dominate the no gi scene a few years back, and enjoyed an enormous rise in popularity. Whether you’re a fan or not, the fact remains...

Takedowns are often the least trained concepts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools, but are some of the most important in both competition and real life scenarios. The two key factors in a takedown are getting the best grip and being the person in...

At this point in the game there should be no questioning whether or not you can learn from videos. The answer is unequivocally yes. There are a ton of examples that can be found after just a simple YouTube search. Not only are...

Like many sports, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a tendency to produce inspiring stories.   As someone who started Jiu Jitsu as a way of regaining strength after a bout with cancer and chemotherapy, I’m a sucker for those stories. I probably wouldn’t recognize...

Everyone has been there: you’re playing your guard game, get an arm isolated, open your guard and go for the armbar. …and something didn’t go right and now you’re getting your guard passed instead finishing the submission. It is frustrating and demoralizing. Systematic...

I’m tempted to say that I’ve been really lucky to train in an academy with few discipline problems.  But it’s not luck. I know this. In my day job as a college professor, I have a zero-tolerance policy toward problem students.  After all,...

  Being able to escape a bad position is a critical element of success in Jiu-Jitsu. Turning the tables on your opponent after being down on points can turn the momentum in your favor. Stephen Whittier is a third degree black belt, and...

Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. -Mike Tyson. Having a game plan going in to any event is a great way to help prepare yourself. In fact, in most situations whether or not you have a preset plan...

Escaping the back is a fundamental concept in BJJ. We learn it early, and its important that we add it to our tool box in our very first months of training. Being that the back mount is a flagship position in BJJ, this...

The Toreando pass is one of the most simple and effective guard passes that can be used in both Gi and Nogi grappling. “Toreando” is derived from bullfighting due to its visual similarity to the motion a matador makes with his leg when...