The turtle position can be quite dynamic. Creating an impenetrable shell, using it for crafty escapes, or even to mount your own offense are just some of the benefits of the position. But when trying to crack it from the top, what’s your...

Ideas on giving advice on the mats... There is nothing worse than seeing two white belts coaching each other on technique. Yet, there is nothing better than receiving a pointer from someone who you respect;feedback from higher belts has been huge in...

Is physical fitness a prerequisite to Jiu Jitsu? The answer is no.  There are a couple of key reasons for my answer in which we will explore. First the muscle groups worked in Jiu Jitsu are unique. There may be some sports that...

How often do you train takedowns? Certainly takedowns are an important component for any grapplers tool kit. This is true for the Jiu Jitsu practitioner. With the majority of our submissions being ground based, it may be beneficial to have another way to...

Cardio for older guys… Recently, the question came up on the BJJ Fanatics group about stamina for the older Jiu Jitsu athlete. I thought I would offer my two cents on the questions. First, for the older grappler, it is unrealistic to have...

Matheus Gonzaga Demonstrates Cross Choke From Mount Who is Matheus Gonzaga? Matheus Gonzaga is an IBJJF purple belt champion in one of the hardest divisions. There were over 100 people in his division at the time. Since then he has also won more...

5 Ways To Be Your Best In Life And On The Mats Let’s face it. Life is short. You are born. You live a little. You learn some Brazilian jiu jitsu. You Die. Between your job, your husband, your wife, your kids, your...

Bernardo Faria Hip Escape One of the best escapes a Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner can learn is the hip escape. It is one of the most fundamental principles of jiu jitsu, working both as a mount escape and preventing side control. You will...

3 Ways To Integrate Yoga And BJJ It comes as no surprise to many of us who practice BJJ that it is a comprehensive full body workout. No matter your body type, jiu jitsu can be incredibly adaptive to one’s own fitness level....

An Intro To The Arm Bar Many grapplers are introduced to the arm bar as their first submission. Even fans of MMA will be familiar with this commonly used grappling technique. It is a tried and true jiu jitsu submission, with a long...

The 5 Benefits of Smashing and Passing When we look at some of the absolute best ways to pass an opponent’s guard in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu we must always stop and pay tribute to the effective method of the smash pass. With the...

The Fundamentals of Grappling Will Make You The Best Grappler You Can Be The foundation of a great grappler comes from his knowledge of fundamentals. In your early years of jiu jitsu this is where most of your time will be spent. New...

The Uchi Mata is one of the best throws for Judo, MMA, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu The Uchi Mata, or inner thigh throw, is a devastatingly effective throw and has one of the highest success rates in all of Judo competition as it...

The Tai Otoshi Throw is One of the original and one of the most powerful throws in Judo Want to see the Tai Otoshi in action? Check out this sick Judo throw highlight featuring tai otoshi throw The Tai Otoshi is classified as...

Control and Dominate Your Opponents With The Kesa Gatame (Scarf Hold) Position Kesa Gatame, or the Scarf Hold, is an amazing controlling position that is often overlooked or even ignored in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The fear is that you will easily lose control...