Mikey Musumeci is arguably one of the most successful young BJJ black belts on the competitive circuit today.  Having won his 2nd black belt IBJJF title, he entered a league entirely his own after winning the worlds at every color belt and his...

The half guard is becoming one of the most popular guard games out there today.  In the world of high level competitors, people like Bernardo Faria and Tom DeBlass have made it the foundation of their competitive success and BJJ game plans.  For...

The 2003 ADCC world championship event in Sao Paulo was not Dean Lister's first taste of ADCC victory, having won a fight in 2001 before meeting up with Ricardo Almeida in the quarterfinals and in 2002, Dean won the ADCC North American Trials....

Do you ever feel inadequate at your current belt rank? I find this to be a common mindset among many BJJ players. Some would describe the feeling as undeserving. If you’re involved with a good academy and you’re a part of a solid...

You know the story. You show up at your Grandmother’s house for the annual Christmas dinner. As you browse the cookie table your uncle appears. Visibly inebriated, he proceeds to advance toward you making several chopping motions with his hands. And just like...

BJJ fundamentals are the building blocks that will set the stage for all growth in your BJJ game. Think of it in terms of musical practice. You must first learn the scales before you can play a symphony, right? Of course, there is...

Throughout the course of history, plenty of techniques have gotten a bad rap.  Look how long leg locks were frowned upon until OG grapplers like Dean Lister and systematic masterminds like John Danaher helped bring the leg lock out of the darkness and...

Being stuck inside the closed guard of a good guard player can be extremely frustrating.  It's easy to spend endless energy trying to combat and break open the legs, while being pushed and pulled by the hips and also dealing with the guard...

Today for his 137th episode of the wildly popular Jocko Willink Podcast, author, former Navy Seal and BJJ black belt Jocko Willink played host to long time friend and jiu jitsu mentor Dean Lister.  The two of them share tales of Dean's upbringing...

The back mount may just be the most dominant position you could hope to achieve in BJJ. Consider the perks. All of your opponent’s defenses are facing away from you, making escapes and counters difficult. From a self-defense perspective, it can be a...

You’re having your coffee and scrolling through your social media again. All the consistent posts pop up. The usual banter, images, and content. Maybe some pictures of food, a funny meme, that same guy complaining about the line at the post office again....

Earlier today, ADCC champion Gordon Ryan made an announcement on his social media that he was now a free agent.  The grappling superstar had recently been signed to an exclusive contract with the ACB organization.  BJJ Fanatics had an opportunity to connect with...

This past weekend, I got back on the competition mats after over 6 years away.  As a student of Professor Tom DeBlass, I've always been inspired by his no nonsense approach to competition for his students.  Do it, if you want to do...

A video recently surfaced of Renzo Gracie showing Brandon Vera a takedown at the airport. It’s always fun to see legends in their natural habitat. You can see the video here! The video was captured prior to the most recent One Fighting Championship...

I recently took a guided backpacking trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. It was incredibly beautiful, challenging, and provided one hell of a brain break. The scenery was breathtaking. We hiked close to 35 miles in just 3 days. We climbed...